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Prominent racehorse syndicator Nathan Bennett is looking to the world stage – especially the Hong Kong International Races – with Fawkner Park should he win Saturday’s G2 Q22 (2200m) at Eagle Farm for the second straight year.

It has been two years since Bennett’s The Astrologist ran fifth in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, the culmination of an overseas campaign that peaked when the hardy sprinter finished a head second in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai.

“It was a great day, that final day of Royal Ascot in 2023; even though we didn’t have a winner, we had three runners,” Bennett told Idol Horse. “Warnie debuted in the Chesham Stakes, he is an emergency for the Stradbroke on Saturday and will probably just miss out but there are big races in store for him. We had Ardakan in the Hardwicke and of course The Astrologist in the sprint.

“Racing on those big stages gives you a taste for more and it’s certainly something we hope that we are able to achieve for our owners in the months ahead.”

It was around that same time that Fawkner Park, a Dundalk maiden winner in Ireland, was starting to make waves in Australia with four straight wins in restricted company. He progressed to win the Albury Cup and Wagga Cup, both in southern New South Wales, last year and then made the trip north to take the Q22 by almost four lengths over subsequent Melbourne Cup winner Knight’s Choice.

“He was well supported in the market last year and the market suggested that he would win handily, but to win by the margin he did was really exciting,” Bennett said. “Knight’s Choice obviously went on to frank that form and Bois d’Argent, who was third, had won a Group 1 the start before. In fact, I think 15 of the 18 were either Group 1 winners or runners-up so it was a strong race.

“It’s a smaller field on Saturday and he brings the right formlines behind Antino. He’s in great form, he’s been running well in every race he’s contested this preparation. He’s probably in the best form of his career so we are very hopeful that he might be able to go back-to-back.”

Previously run as the P J O’Shea Stakes and the Eagle Farm Cup, the race is most notable in Hong Kong as one won by Werther in 2015 before he arrived at Sha Tin later that year.

Only one horse, hard-knocking Perth visitor Scenic Shot, has won the race twice in the last 50 years. However, Australian champion Tulloch won back-to-back in 1960 and 1961.

After his dominant Q22 victory last year, Fawkner Park was the early favourite for Australia’s big spring Cups; 12 months prior, Without A Fight had won the Q22 before becoming the first horse in 22 years to complete the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double. A lacklustre effort on his “Melbourne leg” though saw him returned to Sydney and Bennett suggested that he would not go clockwise again.

That begs the question: could Sha Tin, which races in a counterclockwise direction like Sydney and Brisbane, beckon for Fawkner Park?

“After Saturday, he will more than likely be set for Hong Kong,” Bennett confirmed. “He can’t really go the Melbourne way due to a couple of little issues behind, we could try it again but it seems to irritate him. It looks a logical step and the owners would love to go over the for a bit of a bucket list trip.

“We think he could be a lovely horse for either the Hong Kong Cup or the Hong Kong Vase, we’ll look at both and see which one suits the best – and of course which one we think he’s a better chance of hopefully going top three. Obviously, it’s going to be tough and even if we went for the ‘weaker’ of the two, it wouldn’t be weak.

“We will just get through Saturday and make a plan with Annabel, Rob and the team for the months ahead but Hong Kong will be the end goal. You dream of having a horse good enough to get invited to races like those.”

Annabel Archibald has won the race three times in the four years it has been run since it was rebranded as the Q22. However, there will be two new names on the honour roll should Fawkner Park or stablemate Bois d’Argent take the World Pool race: Archibald was formerly Annabel Neasham, while she now trains in partnership with her husband Rob. ∎

Andrew Hawkins is the Idol Horse Deputy Editor. Andrew’s deep passion for international racing has taken him to all corners of the world, including Hong Kong, where he was based for five years. He has worked with media outlets including the South China Morning Post, Racing Post, ANZ Bloodstock News, Sky Racing Australia and World Horse Racing, as well as for organisations including the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Victoria Racing Club. Outside of racing, he is also an Olympics and Paralympics researcher for Nine.

View all articles by Andrew Hawkins.

Jack Dawling is a Racing Journalist at Idol Horse. Jack has been passionate about horse racing since he watched Frankel power to victory in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood in 2012. He covered racing in the UK, America and France before moving to Hong Kong in 2023. His credits include South China Morning Post, Racing Post and PA Media.

View all articles by Jack Dawling.

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