As a yearling in September 2014 Hawkbill was offered for sale at Keeneland and bought for $350,000 by the John Ferguson on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin organisation.

On 18 August he carried top weight of 133 pounds in a nursery handicap and won by three and a quarter lengths after leading for most of the way and drawing clear in the straight.

After leading from the start and going three lengths clear early in the straight he was hard-pressed in the final strides before prevailing by a head from the Richard Hannon Jr.-trained Steel of Madrid.

Abdon and the Cocked Hat Stakes runner-up Prize Money started 4/1 joint favourites ahead of the unbeaten Long Island Sound, with Hakwbill next in the betting on 11/2 alongside Blue de Vega (third in the Irish 2000 Guineas).

The odds-on favourite was the Irish colt The Gurkha who had won the Poule d'Essai des Poulains before being narrowly beaten in the St James's Palace Stakes.

The other three runners were Western Hymn (Brigadier Gerard Stakes), Bravery (fourth in the Irish 2000 Guineas) and Time Test's pacemaker Countermeasure.

The two colts engaged in a prolonged struggle in the closing stages before Hawkbill gained the advantage in the final strides and won by half a length.

Starting the 6/1 second favourite in a strong field he tracked the leaders but weakened in the last quarter mile and finished eighth of the twelve runners behind Postponed.

He ended his season with a trip to Germany, where he finished third behind the four-year-olds Guignol and Racing History in the Grosser Preis von Bayern over 2400 metres at Munich on 1 November.

Nineteen days later the colt was dropped in class for the Group 3 Aston Park Stakes over one and a half miles on soft ground at Newbury Racecourse and started 3/1 favourite against five opponents.

[15] In his two remaining starts of 2017 Hawkbill finished runner-up to Dschingis Secret in the Grosser Preis von Berlin and was then sent to Canada where he was beaten a head by Johnny Bear in the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes.

[16] Three weeks later over the same course and distance the horse contested the Group 1 Sheema Classic in which he faced nine opponents including Rey de Oro (Japanese Derby), Cloth of Stars, Poet's Word, Idaho and Satono Crown.

He led for most of the way but was overtaken approaching the final furlong and came home fourth behind Roaring Lion, Saxon Warrior and Cliffs of Moher, four lengths behind the winner.

After a break of over two months Hawkbill was sent to Canada for a second time but ran poorly when unplaced behind Johnny Bear in the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes on 15 September.