Bookmaker Reviews & Sports News

Posts Tagged ‘richard hannon’

Richard Hannon picked up another big juvenile prize when Libranno pinged out of the stalls and made all the running under Richard Hughes to take the Tanqueray Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

Enjoying his sixth success of the week, Hughes had to wake up the youngster inside the final furlong to score by one and a quarter lengths from The Paddyman in the Group Two contest.

The latter had been well-backed at 4-1 and looked menacing with two furlongs remaining, but Libranno found plenty in front, to the delight of the packed grandstands, returning as a warm 5-4 favourite.

Hughes said: “I was trying to get him to relax and get him breathing early on, as for nearly a minute I couldn’t feel his belly going. He jumped extremely fast and I let him go to the front, but in the last two furlongs he was gawping at everything.

“I think he kills horses off halfway through the race with his speed and then just grinds it out at the finish. He had a hard race the last day and a tough enough race today, but he’s a decent horse and a fast horse.”

When asked about a potential next port of call for the juvenile, Hughes added: “Ideally something like the Prix Morny, but that might come a bit quick for him.”

Hannon said: “We took him to Newmarket very raw, but we still thought he’d have a good chance in the July Stakes, and he’s won very well again today.

“I don’t really know what we’re going to do with him now. It’s up to the owner really, but he wouldn’t want much further than six furlongs unless we can teach him to race in a different way.”

Hughes went on to notch his 100th winner of the season, and effectively wrapped up the Goodwood jockeys’ title, as he rode The Queen’s Royal Exchange (3-1 joint-favourite) to victory in the RSA Nursery.

Winning trainer Hannon added: “It’s great for Hughesie and for Her Majesty. This horse wants a mile really.”

Richard Hannon has raised the possibility of Dick Turpin tackling 10 furlongs before too long.

The trainer has two of the very best three-year-old milers at his disposal, with Dick Turpin and Canford Cliffs closely matched on three meetings already this season, and he would prefer the pair not to clash again in next Wednesday’s Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

“I think Dick Turpin can go a mile and a quarter, but I don’t know where he would go at the moment. He is improving all the time,” said Hannon.

The John Manley-owned Dick Turpin beat Canford Cliffs, who belongs to a syndicate, in the Greenham Stakes and finished in front of his stablemate again when second in the 2000 Guineas. Canford Cliffs gained his revenge in the St James’s Palace, while Dick Turpin subsequently gained a deserved first Group One in the Prix Jean Prat.

Both looked on fine terms with themselves on Tuesday morning, with individual leg-stretches up one of Hannon’s gallops at Herridge.

“If they get rain, John will want to run at Goodwood,” said Hannon of Dick Turpin. “I don’t want them to meet again as they are two very good horses but they are owned by different people and I can’t keep them apart.

While a decision will have to be made about Dick Turpin, there is no doubt about Canford Cliffs’ destination and his trainer continued: “He runs in the Sussex. He is a lovely horse, very mature, and he has put on a lot of weight.

“I took him to Kempton on Monday and he worked over seven furlongs with one of The Queen’s horses, Quadrille.”

Hannon also revealed he is set to enjoy another season with his stable stars as both will race on as four-year-olds, with Canford Cliffs expected to take even higher order.

He contineed: “Both Canford Cliffs and Dick Turpin will stay in training as four-year-olds. He (Canford Cliffs) has improved beyond recognition and I am sure he is getting better. He is certainly going the way to be being the best horse I have ever trained.”

Richard Hannon has decided against running the brilliant Paco Boy in the totesport.com Summer Mile at Ascot on Saturday.

Hannon stated earlier in the week he would prefer to see some rain before committing to the Group Two.

The fact regular rider Richard Hughes is suspended is also likely to have played a part in his decision.

As a result, 10 will go to post, including Michael Jarvis’ globetrotter Pressing, a winner in Italy last time out.

Dream Eater, third behind Goldikova and Paco Boy at Ascot, Locking runner-up Ouqba and Godolphin’s Alexandros are all engaged.

Ed Dunlop’s Fareer, Jeremy Noseda’s Forgotten Voice and the Chris Wall-trained Premio Loco add further strength in depth.

Dingaan, King Of Dixie and French raider Vertigineux complete the field.

Richard Hannon dominated the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot as Canford Cliffs oozed class to get the better of his stablemate Dick Turpin.

The winner was settled some way off the pace by a confident Richard Hughes, who held on to the 11-4 joint-favourite for as long as possible as Steinbeck led into the turn.

Dick Turpin went for home, but Canford Cliffs quickened up impressively to go past and win by a length, with Pat Eddery’s Hearts Of Fire running a massive race in third.

Hughes said: “The most important thing I had to do was to get my horse to settle very early in the race, slip the bridle out and ride him a race.

“I said all week I knew I was on the best horse, but I just needed a bit of luck in running.

“I could afford to give them five lengths riding on a horse like Canford Cliffs, but I could feel a shoe go turning for home and that was a bit of a worry.

“He just might have hit a flat spot and I soon got him going again and he’s beaten a very good horse in Dick Turpin too.

“Being on him is like getting into a Rolls Royce instead of a Morris Minor. The difference is unbelievable. You just sit on him and everything is smooth and is electric. He has so much speed and that’s his forte.”

Hannon added: “He’s got better and better and he only had to settle in his races. He has got to go for Group Ones, so I suppose the Sussex Stakes and the Jacques le Marois would be possibilities.”

Makfi, winner of the 2000 Guineas, was only seventh of the nine and his jockey Olivier Peslier reported: “He was running a good race until turning into the straight. I tried to go on the outside but there was no power – he found nothing.”

Freddie Head believes Goldikova to be in the best shape of her career ahead of a cracking renewal of the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

The dual Breeders’ Cup Mile heroine may be favourite at 13-8 with Stan James to land her ninth Group One, but she faces extremely tough competition headed by last year’s winner Paco Boy and Rip Van Winkle.

“I think she is very well and I have her in very good condition. Everything has been going to plan since her last run and I expect her to run a great race on Tuesday. It is hard to say if she is better than ever as she has been so good, but I would think she is in the best shape I have ever had her,” Head told At The Races.

“She won the Prix d’Ispahan over nine furlongs last time, but a mile is her distance. She is a real miler. I am happy with being drawn in stall one. Olivier (Peslier) will do his best. She is an easy to ride, you can do whatever you want with her. What we want is a clear run and I hope she runs her best.

“You can put her where you like and she has a very good turn of foot too. I know she will have to be at her best. It’s not a walkover – we know it’s a top-class race.

“I’ve got no problem with her at the start. She has been going into the stalls since her last race. Everything has been OK and she has run in England before and I think she will behave well. I am very hopeful she is in the best form and I think she will run a cracking race.

“I would love to win at Royal Ascot. I haven’t been lucky there but I think she will turn things around.”

While Head is not worried about her behaviour at the start, Peslier admits he is slightly concerned.

He said: “Obviously she has won eight Group Ones and Paco Boy is very strong, but mine broke the record last time. It depends how she starts how I will ride her. It also depends on the pace if I ride her near the front or back. She’s not easy to get in the gate. That’s the only point that is tricky with her.”

Richard Hannon’s Paco Boy confirmed his well-being when put through his paces on Sunday morning and told his website, www.richardhannonracing.tv: “Paco Boy worked well with Lucky General and is in great shape for his clash with Goldikova and Rip Van Winkle, which should be a humdinger of an opener to the meeting.”

Paco Boy, Goldikova and Rip Van Winkle all feature among 12 entries for a mouthwatering renewal of the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

Rip Van Winkle, trained by Aidan O’Brien, boasts top-level form having won the Sussex Stakes and the QEII last year, but he has been off the track since finishing down the field in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Richard Hannon’s Paco Boy is set to bid for a second successive win in the Queen Anne and could hardly be in better form having annihilated his rivals in last month’s Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

Freddie Head’s wonder mare Goldikova looked as good as ever on her recent reappearance, recording a remarkable eighth Group One victory in the Prix D’Ispahan at Longchamp.

The Godolphin camp could be represented by Saeed bin Suroor’s Alexandros and the Mahmood Al Zarooni-trained Calming Influence. Other interesting contenders include Zacinto, Dalghar, Pipedreamer and Ouqba.

Paco Boy’s team are in confident mood ahead of Royal Ascot’s ‘race of the week’ – the Queen Anne Stakes.

Dual Breeders’ Cup Mile heroine Goldikova and Sussex Stakes winner Rip Van Winkle are preparing to take on the apple of Richard Hannon’s eye in what should be a thrilling contest.

His son and assistant Richard jnr told At The Races: “The Queen Anne looks like being the race of the week and hopefully they will all turn up and it will be a very good race. Goldikova is very good and she’ll be very hard to beat.”

He added: “I think Paco Boy is better this year, he seems to have improved but Goldikova is a champion and Paco Boy is not at that status yet.

“He does seem better this year than ever and if he’s ever going to beat her, it will be this year.

“There is still a very small chance we might have a look at the Golden Jubilee, but I would say that it is more than likely he’ll run in the Queen Anne. He’s very adaptable, he’s very fast.

“We need them all to meet for racing. Not that we need to build Royal Ascot up, but I imagine there will be a lot of people going just to see that race alone.”