Gunmetal grey Fawkner was brilliant in winning the 2013 Caulfield Cup for Lloyd Williams

By Lloyd Williams' three-time Group one winner Reset, a son of Zabeel, Fawkner was bred by Steve Bennetts and purchased for $70,000 out of the Mill Park consignment at the 2009 Inglis Melbourne premier yearling sale. Fawkner was out of the Danewin mare, Dane Belltar, a Group 3 winner who was runner-up in the 2003 Crowne Oaks. He is a half brother to Group 2 winner Tanby.

A four-race win streak in 2012 included his first group win in the Gr.3 Chatham Stakes in November and was followed by a nose second to Happy Trails in the Gr.1 Emirates Cantala Stakes a week later at Flemington to start a five-race winless skid. The drought included a third to star mare Black Caviar  in the Gr.1 William Reid Stakes in March and a third to Happy Trails in the Gr.1 Turnbull Stakes in October at Flemington in his previous start. Fawkner won 11 of 32 career starts, including Group one's at 1600m, 2000m and 2400m.

The Caulfield Cup in October 2013 had been in the plans for Fawkner for nearly a year, and the 6-year-old gelding sprung a long-sought win for owners Lloyd and Nick Williams. Jockey Nick Hall settled Fawkner in 12th along the rail in the early running as Julienas set the early tempo before Damien Oliver on Jet Away sprung a surprise move and burned to the lead from the 800-metre mark. Fawkner was trapped back on the inside and needed to get away from the rail to have and any chance. Hall bought him wider on the turn and gathered pace swiftly, seizing control with 150 metres to run. Trained by Robert Hickmott, Fawkner had previously competed with distinction in Group one races, and the Caulfield Cup was penciled in after a deal to buy him was not completed. Hall rode a top race and produced the $11 chance to score from the English-trained Dandino, while Dear Demi was third.

The gelding ran in two Melbourne Cups, in 2013/14. The pre-race plan in 2014 was for jockey Nick Hall to have Fawkner positioned in the first half of the field but Hall admitted that the early pressure of the Melbourne Cup took its toll at the back end of the race. Fawkner was solid throughout betting and started at $8.50 but after racing in the first half a dozen in the field, faded in the straight to finish tenth, almost thirteen lengths behind the winner, the German trained Protectionist.

Fawkner was having his second attempt at winning the Melbourne Cup and in contrast he raced near the tail of the field in 2013 before making up some ground to finish sixth to Fiorente. Starting for the first time in 10 months in September 2015, Fawkner fought out a spirited finish in the Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes with Rising Romance winning by a short head at Flemington. Unraced since his 10th-place finish in 2014 Melbourne Cup, the 8-year-old gelding settled off the early pace, sixth in the 14-horse field, before taking the lead 200 metres out and holding back Rising Romance to prevail. He was second to Dissident in the 2014 edition of the race.

RACE RECORD - 32: 11-6-3

EARNINGS - $3,854,751

Makybe Diva Stakes G1 (2015)

Caulfield Stakes G1 (2014)

BMW Caulfield Cup G1 (2013)