When you are at a crossroads in life, who better to get you back on track than Aidan O'Brien?
No wonder Ronan Whelan was smiling after recording his biggest success for his new boss on new Epsom Derby (G1) favorite Hawk Mountain, who proved the answer to the most confusing of punting puzzles when winning the Futurity Trophy Stakes (G1) Oct. 25 at Doncaster.
The antepost market for Britain's final group 1 of the season had a muddled look to it, and Hawk Mountain, who was second in the betting among the Ballydoyle battalion at the five-day stage, was promoted to favorite Oct. 22 before entering the stalls as outsider of O'Brien's three runners.
But the race was far more straightforward as Ireland's 2012 champion apprentice Whelan—who also partnered Hawk Mountain to success in the Beresford Stakes (G2) last month—soon had the 18-5 chance in front and the pair pretty much stayed there throughout to lead home an O'Brien 1-2-3.
Action pressed him strongly under Wayne Lordan, but could never get past and had to settle for second, just ahead of Christophe Soumillon's mount Benvenuto Cellini, the restored favorite—albeit at 7-4, far longer than the 4-9 he was trading at Monday.
Whelan, 32, is in his first season at Ballydoyle and reflected: "My main boss last year, Michael Halford, retired and I'd had a couple of winners for Aidan so I'd made the connection a bit. I was at a crossroads but I'd made that connection and there's no better place to be.
"He's a great guy to ride for and it really is a team effort—everyone is plugging for each other."
Whelan rode his first group 1 winner for 3 1/2 years when landing the Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1) on O'Brien's Precise at the Curragh last month and said: "When you go down at the start of the year, you dream about this—but you don't think it's going to happen. You think it's a possibility but this is my second group 1 in my first year. I'm very lucky the way things have worked out."
Hawk Mountain himself did not need any luck. Whelan said: "He traveled like a nice horse through the race. For a few strides when Wayne came beside me I hit a bit of a flat spot but that's all it was.
"Once I got going again I always felt like I was winning. It was just a matter of keeping him together. He felt like he was still a bit green and I felt there was plenty left in him."
O'Brien, who has had to juggle his jockeys with Ryan Moore out of action, was delighted with Whelan and said: "He's a very good rider and he's very experienced and very strong."
He was also more than happy with Hawk Mountain, who is now likely to be given the chance to emulate the likes of Auguste Rodin, Magna Grecia, and Saxon Warrior, who have all gone on from success here to classic victory in recent years.
"I'd say he's a classic horse that could start off being a miler and go on up to a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half," the trainer said.
"He's a big, powerful, strong horse. He has an unbelievable mind and he's very straightforward to do everything with. You couldn't be happier with him—he's one of those nice, uncomplicated, powerful, big horses. He's big but he's athletic."
Hawk Mountain is out of Coolmore's high-class filly Hydrangea and O'Brien said: "I'm delighted for the lads, he's 100% homebred, top and bottom in generations of his pedigree. A lot of thought goes in from a big team of people and I'm so delighted for everybody. The lads put so much in day in day out to make those horses. It costs a lot and we're just so grateful that they leave them in Ireland for us all."
Delacroix, Dylan Thomas, and Circus Maximus are among the future stars O'Brien has had beaten in this race and the trainer does not believe defeat should be held against his other runners.
Action, a half brother to Derby winner Lambourn, could be aimed at mile-and-a-half races next year and O'Brien said: "He stuck on well, he didn't lie down at all and he kept coming.
"Benvenuto Cellini ran a lovely race; he just got stuck in the ground, he's a very good mover. He wasn't beaten very far and Christophe looked after him in the last half-furlong. They are three lovely horses."
The Futurity Trophy is part of the European Road to the Kentucky Derby and awarded qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis to its top five finishers. Rochfortbridge finished fourth, and Oxagon finished fifth.
O'Brien Lands Trainers' Title
Saturday also saw O'Brien presented with his eighth British trainers' title at Doncaster.
"It's been an incredible season for everybody, a lot of people worked a lot harder than me," the newly crowned champion trainer said. "I'm so grateful to them and delighted for them."
On his highlight this season, he added: "It's very hard to get away from the Derby, that's always such a special race but we've had a lot of great days."
