Used to success on the biggest stages in football, Antoine Griezmann is hoping to add a Newcastle All-Weather Championship finals winner to his CV.
Atletico Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer owns Hooking, who has been declared for the Easter Classic at Gosforth Park.
With a £175,000 pot on offer, the race is the most lucrative staged at the meeting.
Trained in France by Philippe Decouz, the nine-year-old has been fantastic for connections, winning 13 races under rules including five Listed contests.
Encouragement can be taken from his recent form as well.
His win at Cagnes-Sur-Mer on January 25th took his career earnings well in advance of £300,000 and he followed that up with a good third at the same track a month later.
Hooking contested the Easter Classic in 2024 where he finished a creditable third behind Elegant Man picking up nearly £25,000 in the process.
Decouz seems excited about the opportunity of a repeat bid.
He told the Racing Post: "We were exceptionally well received at Newcastle last year. It was a great experience and that's what is bringing us back.
Hooking is in really great form – actually, he's in the form of his life, even better than he was at this time last year.
World Cup-winning Griezmann is no stranger to ownership; the Frenchman owns 14 horses who are all trained in France.
Although not accumulating as much prize money as Hooking, Griezmann's most exciting horse might be Wakaburn.
Now a six-year-old, Wakaburn missed 835 days of racing through injury but since returning to the track he has started to rediscover some of his old form.
His biggest win to date came on his last start where he won the Prix Jacques Laffitte at Longchamp.
Griezmann will be hoping that matchday preparation won't stop him from watching Hooking in action as his Atleti side travel to Las Palmas for Saturday's La Liga fixture.
Rojiblancos are still fighting for the title but their recent form has allowed Barcelona to stretch seven points clear.
Related Articles
Racecourse Guides
Newcastle Racecourse Guide
One of Britain's busiest racecourses, hosting over 60 all-weather and jumps fixtures a year, Newcastle is the pride of the North East for racing fans.
bet365 News Team
14 Jul 25
