Hardwicke Stakes
Group 2, Ascot 15:05 £250,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 3f 211y, Class 1
Tweet Saturday 20th June 2026

Ghostwriter is set to head straight to Royal Ascot for his long-awaited debut for Kevin Philippart de Foy, with either this or the Wolferton Stakes under consideration.

The five-year-old was purchased for £2million by Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing after finishing third in last year’s Hardwicke Stakes for Clive Cox, but has yet to make a racecourse appearance since joining Philippart de Foy at Freemason Lodge.

A planned outing in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes last summer was abandoned after the son of Invincible Spirit suffered a distressing incident in the paddock when rearing over while being saddled.

Now back in full training, connections are optimistic he can finally resume his career at the Royal meeting next month.

Philippart de Foy said: “He’s either going to run in the Hardwicke or the Wolferton and he will probably go straight there.

“We’ll decide probably the week before which one we’ll go for and it will be great to get him back on a racetrack, he is in great shape.

“He’ll probably just have a racecourse gallop and head straight to Ascot.”

Rebel’s Romance is being primed for another tilt at the race, with Charlie Appleby once more mapping out an international campaign for one of the sport’s most durable and widely admired performers.

A stalwart of the Godolphin operation and a familiar flagbearer for Moulton Paddocks, the eight-year-old continues to defy the passage of time. His victory on Meydan’s Super Saturday card in February, the 21st of a distinguished career, served as further confirmation that his appetite for competition remains undiminished.

Rebel’s Romance takes the Dubai City Of Gold (G2)!

pic.twitter.com/MSMMKOCuNy

— IFHA's Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (@worldsbesthorse) February 28, 2026

Connections resisted the temptation of a high-profile clash with Calandagan on Dubai World Cup night, instead opting to keep their powder dry for a return to Ascot in June, where conditions and timing are expected to play more to his strengths.

Appleby told the Press Association: “He’s heading to the Hardwicke. I didn’t think he could beat Calandagan in the Dubai Sheema Classic which is why we didn’t take him over there for World Cup night and I think the Hardwicke is the right spot to start him back off again.”

Rebel’s Romance’s international résumé is already well established, with three victories in the United States, including two in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. He came close to adding a third at Del Mar last November, underlining both his consistency and adaptability at the highest level.

This season, America may again feature prominently on his itinerary, with Appleby outlining a long-held ambition to target the Sword Dancer at Saratoga, a race that has taken on added significance following its renaming in honour of the late Christophe Clement.

Appleby added: “My long-term plan is to try and win the Sword Dancer in America. I’ve always wanted to win the race with him and we tried it a couple of years ago (in 2023) but he never got there after clipping heels in the trial race for it.

“It would be a nice race to go and win with a horse like him.”

For a horse who has already travelled far and achieved much, the prospect of further international success remains both realistic and entirely fitting.

James Owen is daring to look ahead, and in Wimbledon Hawkeye he possesses a colt who has already carried him a long way, with the promise of more still to come.

A Royal Ascot breakthrough is now firmly in his sights, the Hardwicke Stakes pencilled in as a mid-summer target for a horse who has steadily built a profile of substance. By Kameko, he made his mark early, landing the Royal Lodge at two before confirming his class on the international stage last season when striking in the Nashville Derby at Kentucky Downs, a deserved reward for a series of commendable efforts in deeper waters.

Ascot, however, remains unfinished business. He ran with credit there twelve months ago, finishing fourth, and returns this year with both experience and expectation on his side.

Owen said: “The first aim will be the Hardwicke and we just need to decide whether we go straight to Royal Ascot or have a prep run beforehand.

“He’s had a nice break after a busy campaign last year and I’m really looking forward to this season with him.

“Each year he has put me on the map and hopefully can continue to do that.”

What follows may well hinge on what unfolds in Berkshire. Having already sampled the demands of international competition, including a closing effort at the Breeders’ Cup, options remain open should he continue on an upward curve.

Owen added: “That will pave the way to whether we go abroad with him again or if it all clicks we could stay here and look at some nice targets closer to home.”

For now, the path leads to Ascot, where both horse and trainer will seek to take another step forward on racing’s grandest stage.

Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2)
£250,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 3f 211y, Class 1
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Hardwicke Stakes Winners

* run at York