Richard Hannon Stable Tour

Richard Hannon is in ebullient form as he chats about his squad for the season ahead. You sense he is safe in the knowledge that 2020 is going to be yet another profitable year, despite its delayed kick-off.

King Of Change captains the team. The fabulous son of Farhh provided Hannon with a 12th Group 1 win on home soil when seeing off a QEII field that was high in quality and quantity on Champions Day at Ascot in October. Last year’s 2,000 Guineas runner-up is reported to be in rude health ahead of his Queen Anne date, a race for which he is clear favourite.

There has been a late tactical change on the Classic front. Threat, last year’s Gimcrack and Champagne Stakes winner, is set to swerve the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday and instead head straight for an engagement at the royal meeting in the St James’s Palace Stakes. According to Hannon, Ascot will be more to his liking than Newmarket.

Threat (left) heads straight to Royal Ascot for the St James’s Palace Stakes

Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Hannon will still be represented in the first Classic of the campaign on Saturday as Mums Tipple, the 11-length winner of the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Stakes at York last August, is going to try a mile. Imagine how exciting it would be if he stayed.

There are no shortage of exciting juveniles to look forward to, while familiar faces like Billesdon Brook, Oh This Is Us and Raymond Tusk are back for more.

It is no wonder he is in such jovial form.

Stable Facts

 Yard Herridge Racing Stables

 Where Collingbourne Ducis, Wiltshire

 Started training 2014

 Horses in yard 250

 Strike-rate last season 11%

 Total prize-money 2019 £4,012,259

 Assistant trainer Richard Hannon snr

 Head grooms Steve Knight, Emma Skipper, Maxine Ledger, Tony Gorman, Emmet Stack, Molly Nash-Steer

 Travelling head groom Wayne Kavanagh

 Assistant travelling head Guy Anstey

 Jockeys Pat Dobbs, Sean Levey, Tom Marquand, Rossa Ryan

 Apprentices Luke Catton, Thore Hammer Hansen. Mark Crehan

 Secretary Kevin Mason

 Office managers Lindsay Davis, Geoff Peck, Stacey Gilks, Kevin Mason

 Website richardhannonracing.co.uk

 Twitter @hannonracing

 2019 153

 2018 172

 2017 194

 2016 172

 2015 195

 2019 -£300.75

 2018 -£345.26

 2017 -£79.49

 2016 -£211.92

 2015 -£348.38 

Older horses

 5yo mare Dubawi (sire) – Anna Oleanda (dam)

 Owner: Mrs R J McCreery

 Form figures: 216596-

 Racing Post Rating: 110 Official rating: 105

She’s come back into us this week but you won’t see her until the second half of the season. She’s been great for us over the years.

 4 c Wootton Bassett – Frida La Blonde

 Sullivan B’Stock/Merriebelle Irish Farm

 411156-

 RPR 113 OR 110

He’s done very well physically since you saw him last. He’s a very fast horse and, now that he’s learning to settle better, I think you’ll see him develop into a very good horse. He loves quick ground and ran really well when we took him over to Rosehill last November. He seems equally as good over 7f and a mile.

Beat Le Bon quickens clear against the rail under Pat Dobbs

Edward Whitaker / racingpost.com/photos

 5 m Champs Elysees – Coplow

 Mrs R J McCreery

 912118-

 RPR 116 OR 116

She’s in great nick and runs in the Listed race over a mile at Kempton on Wednesday, but she always needs a run or two each season to get herself straight. The Duke of Cambridge at Royal Ascot is the plan for her after Kempton and we’ll aim her at the Sun Chariot Stakes after that. It was brilliant to see her come back to her best to win that race last year. There might be something for her internationally too. She’s not short of options.

 4 c Dark Angel – Jewel In The Sand

 Chelsea Thoroughbreds & Martin Hughes

 41/5421-

 RPR 98 OR 95

He progressed nicely last year, as we thought he would, and signed off for the season by winning a nice handicap at Musselburgh. He’s a very nice horse to have for handicaps this year and I’m sure he’ll continue to progress.

 4 c Nathaniel – Miss Kenton

 Michael Pescod

 126/514-

 RPR 108 OR 105

He’s a lovely horse and is entered in the Coronation Cup at Newmarket on Friday, which is his sort of trip. He’s still quite lightly raced and we’d be hoping there’s more to come from him.

 4 c Kodiac – Folegandros Island

 King Power Racing Co Ltd

 173977-

 RPR 111 OR 107

He did very well last year, winning three on the bounce early in the season, and the plan is to come back in trip with him this year and hold him up. He has a couple of options at Newmarket this weekend and we’ll try to find something suitable for him there. He’ll have to carry a Group 2 penalty, which won’t make life easy.

 4 c Dark Angel – Zenella

 King Power Racing Co Ltd

 2/14-624

 RPR 107 OR 99

We were gutted the Lincoln didn’t go ahead as we thought a straight mile at a track like Doncaster would have been right up his street. He’ll have a few options in handicaps at Royal Ascot and he’s not far off being a Listed horse.

 4 c Farhh – Salacia (IRE)

 Ali Abdulla Saeed

 22/1211-

 RPR 122 OR 120

He looks amazing. The initial plan was the Lockinge, so we obviously had to miss that, and now all roads lead to the Queen Anne. We took him away to work at Kempton and I was thrilled with him. He surprised me when he finished second in the Guineas but nothing after that surprised me. He’s proved himself to be a top Group 1 performer and that’s the stature of horse that every trainer wants to have. We’re very hopeful that he’ll continue to progress this season.

King Of Change looks “amazing” ahead of his date in the Queen Anne

Charlie Crowhurst

 7 h Acclamation – Shamwari Lodge

 Team Wallop

 9139-54

 RPR 117 OR 106

I have to admit he’s probably my favourite horse in the yard. He just tries so hard and he’s always there when you need him. I love having him around the place. We had him qualified for the all-weather championship but that didn’t happen. There are a few options for him at Newmarket next weekend. He has the options of handicaps, Listed races and even Group races. I think he’s a bit above handicaps.

 5 h High Chaparral – Dancing Shoes

 Middleham Park Racing XXXI & K Sohi

 37401-4

 RPR 114 OR 111

He’s a very loyal soldier. We took him over to Melbourne during the autumn and he came back the following month to win at Newcastle. He’s a lovely stayer and we’re going to work our way back from the Ebor.

 4 c Cityscape – Fauran

 Michael Pescod

 38243-1

 RPR 113 OR 109

He began the year well by winning over 7f at Wolverhampton. We’re not quite sure whether we want to stick to that trip or drop back to 6f with him as he really does have lots of speed. He tries very hard.

 4 c Footstepsinthesand – Masseera

 Saeed Suhail

 251743-

 RPR 114 OR 108

There are no secrets with him and he’ll be able to compete in the big handicap as well as dipping his toes in Group 3 races along the way. He might run in a Listed race at Newmarket on Friday.

 7 g Canford Cliffs – Attracted To You

 Mohamed Saeed Al Shahi

 513110-

 RPR 99 OR 96

He was a star for us last year. His best form is on the all-weather but he’s amenable to turf. He’s enjoyed his break and looks very well.

 4 c Toronado – Shotgun Gulch

 Al Shaqab Racing

 251/636-

 RPR 106 OR 104

I’ve been very pleased with the way this guy has been working and I’m convinced there’s more to come from him. He has a lot of speed and is still quite lightly raced. He has the pace for 6f but will stay a mile. I like him.

Three-year-olds

 3 g Canford Cliffs – Gimme Some Lovin

 Christopher Wright & Miss Emily Asprey

 1-

 RPR 78

I was delighted with the way he won his maiden at Lingfield on New Year’s Eve. He’s done very well physically since then and grown a lot.

A lot more to come from the Lingfield scorer Ajax  Tavern

 3 c Siyouni – Phiz

 Hamdan Al Maktoum

 1-

 RPR 88

I was very pleased with the way he won his maiden at Newmarket last summer. He’s out of a Galileo mare so he’s going to want a trip.

3 f Invincible Spirit – Pivotique

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum

163-

RPR 108 OR 106

She goes straight for the 1,000 Guineas and we’re very pleased with her. We took her away to work at Kempton as that brings the best out of her. Andrea Atzeni sat on her and couldn’t have been happier.

 3 f Dark Angel – Ladyship

 Cheveley Park Stud

 143217-

 RPR 105 OR 106

She’s a big girl and has done very well since you saw her last. It might have looked like she didn’t stay on a couple of occasions last year but we’re going to try her over a mile in the 1,000 Guineas and see how she gets on. She’s tough and amazingly similar to Sky Lantern.

 3 c Night Of Thunder – Mandheera

 Saeed Manana

 1420-

 RPR 93 OR 93

We loved him last year and still do now – he has a lot of ability and just wants a trip. We might try him in a Classic trial to see how he gets on.

 3 c Footstepsinthesand – Colomone Cross

 Marian Lyons & Patricia Zanelli

 117-

 RPR 118 OR 115

He worked very well last week at Kempton, fabulous in fact. We’re really happy with him and he’ll head to the 2,000 Guineas now. He didn’t move great in the Middle Park but he’s still quite lightly raced and we have nothing to lose by trying a mile in the Guineas. He does settle nicely in his races so gives himself every chance of staying. If he doesn’t, he’ll come back in trip at Royal Ascot for the Jersey or the Commonwealth Cup.

 3 c Nay Never – Gems

 King Power Racing Co Ltd

 11627-

 RPR 111 OR 109

He’s got a Group 2 penalty for winning the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket so that will make it hard for him, but his work has been very good so far this year and we think he’s improved.

 3 c Footstepsinthesand – Flare Of Firelight

 Cheveley Park Stud

 122115-

 RPR 115 OR 114

I’ve always loved this horse. I was gutted when he was beaten in the Coventry, but things just didn’t go the way we’d hoped that day and in fairness he was beaten by a very good horse in Arizona. He bounced back to do the Gimcrack-Champagne Stakes double, which I don’t think had ever been done by a juvenile before. We’ve decided to give the 2,000 Guineas a swerve and instead aim him at the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. I think the flatter track there over a mile will suit him better than Newmarket would have. He’s a star.

Two-year-olds

“We have a lovely crop of juveniles and some of them I really like already. We have a filly called Happy Romance, by Dandy Man, who is showing me all the right signs already. There is an Acclamation filly we’ve named Tribute To Jade who is entered at Newmarket on Thursday and I’m looking forward to seeing how she gets on.

“Soundslikethunder, by our 2,000 Guineas winner Night Of Thunder, is a colt to keep an eye out for, while Mojo Star is one we are going to take our time with. He’s by Sea The Stars and we think he’s very, very nice. But it won’t be until much later in the year that you get to see him.”

Two for the tracker

Man Of The Night: “We’ve always loved him and he just wants a trip. He has an awful lot of ability.”

Watan: “He’s been working great and has a lot of speed.”

Star quality

Threat

Dark Horse

Ajax Tavern