Wild Atlantic is set to follow in the footsteps of his sire, Exceedance, by contesting the San Domenico Stakes, though he will be making his race debut.
Exceedance, trained by Team Hawkes, secured the sprint race in 2019 on his third career start. Should Wild Atlantic replicate this success, he could be on a trajectory towards the Group 1 Golden Rose over 1400 metres.
A $320,000 acquisition at the Magic Millions sale, Wild Atlantic impressed his trainers with his physique, which bore a strong resemblance to his sire.
“He was a lovely colt, and he actually looked a lot like Dad,” Michael Hawkes remarked. “He’s done everything right. He’s just taken a bit of time, probably a bit like Dad as well. He’s had some nice trials, a good grounding. Yes, he’s in the deep end on Saturday. If anything, he lacks the race craft because he is obviously unraced, where a lot of these have started and they’ve won numerous times. But he’s definitely got the ability to be there. Everyone has seen that with his trials, and we have too. It’s more about him having the right run in transit. He’s drawn a good barrier to get that now, and he’s going to have his chance.”
Despite his lack of race experience, Wild Atlantic has undergone extensive preparation with five trials, winning four of them. His most recent trial showcased a potent turn of foot, leading to a significant market shift from an opening quote of $26 to $7. He now sits behind the $2.10 favourite Blue Door, Golden Slipper victor Guest House ($5), and Warwoven ($5.50).
Hawkes expressed his anticipation for the colt’s race debut, assuring that the stable would not enter him in a Group race first-up if they doubted his potential to contend.
The stable employed a similar strategy with Nepotism, who debuted at $41 in the 2025 Todman Stakes, finishing placed before securing victories in the Baillieu (1400m) and the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) in his subsequent starts.
“He’s a colt with a lot of raw talent and it’s exciting that he’s stepping out,” Hawkes stated. “First and foremost, you’ve got to know whether they’ve got the ability or not. It’s not just throwing them in the deep end, it’s knowing if they’ve got that ability. We did it with Nepotism at his first start, and he arguably should have nearly won. He placed at massive odds then ended up coming out and winning a Group One mile at Randwick.”
Tyler Schiller will partner Wild Atlantic from barrier four, aiming for his maiden win in this three-year-old feature. Hawkes Racing is targeting its fourth San Domenico Stakes triumph in the last 25 years, having previously won with Nostradamus (2014), Star Turn (2016), and Exceedance.
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