Hawk Wing earned a level of admiration few horses achieve. After his emphatic Lockinge Stakes victory the BHA handicapper awarded him a rating of 137, remarking, “Mathematically, it could be as good as anything we’ve seen.”

Aidan O’Brien captured the feeling around the colt succinctly: “He has just an unbelievable amount of natural ability. To watch him, he always quickens your heart.”

Across three seasons at the highest level, Hawk Wing proved himself a genuine superstar miler, taking Group 1 races at two, three and four. He pushed Rock Of Gibraltar all the way in the 2002 2,000 Guineas, finishing just a neck behind, and was runner-up again in that year’s Derby, beaten two lengths after being sent off 9-4 favourite.

His Lockinge performance proved to be the last great chapter on the track. He started just once more, running sixth in the Queen Anne as an odds-on choice, and thereafter it was time for a new role at stud.

Hawk Wing stood at Coolmore from 2004 to 2008 before finishing his stud career in Korea. While his record as a stallion fell short of the sky-high expectations placed on him, he sired useful performers — notably top handicapper Hawkeyethenoo and Group 3 winners The Bogberry and Shamwari Lodge.

Reports from Korea confirm that Hawk Wing, officially recognised as the world’s best racehorse in 2003, has died at the age of 26. The cause was colic, bringing to a close the life of a millionaire athlete whose brilliance on his best days left a lasting impression on the sport.