Hawk Island bound for Rosehill
The lure of the Group One Metropolitan Handicap has swayed Chris Waller to scratch Hawk Island from Thursday's Newcastle Gold Cup. Hawk Island was the pre-post favourite for the Group Three race at Newcastle but Waller elected to keep him for Saturday's weight-for-age Hill Stakes (1900m) at Rosehill on the way to the Group One Metropolitan (2400m) on October 2.
"The reason I've scratched him today (Thursday) is because I think he's a chance in the Metropolitan, the way the weights have been released." Waller told Sydney's Sky Sports Radio.
"He'll have to run the race of his life to win a Metropolitan, but we need to be running in those races and have competitive runners and he'll probably be our sole runner in the race.
"He'll run on Saturday at weight-for-age in the Hill Stakes and if he happened to win that race he wouldn't be open to a penalty, and then gets into the Metropolitan with 53 kilos which is one above the minimum weight."
The imported galloper is in a rich vein of form winning his past four starts including a strong victory in the Listed Wyong Gold Cup (2100m) at his most recent start.
Hawk Island is currently a $21 chance for the Metropolitan with TAB Sportsbet with Herculian Prince the $4.40 favourite.
"He won't get another chance at a Group One, he's nominated, we've come this far, let's try and get the full distance," Waller said.
The Group Two Hill Stakes has attracted a field of nine with Hawk Island joining stablemate Triple Honour in the race along with Sydney Cup winner Jessicabeel and the Peter Snowden-trained dual Group One winner Purple.
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