Richard Hannon Sr. used to dominate Glorious Goodwood like Harry Maguire did opposing teams’ penalty areas at the World Cup, smashing the record for number of winners at the meeting with nine in 2010, before repeating the remarkable feat in his final year as a trainer three years later.
His son Richard Hannon Jr. is yet to enjoy quite the same levels of success at the fixture since taking over in 2014, but he would appear to hold sound claims of landing one of this year’s feature contests when Billesdon Brook lines up in the Nassau Stakes at 15:35. She was a shock 66/1 winner of the 1000 Guineas in May, a return to that form should put her right in the mix here, and she looks too big at around the 9/1 mark with the prospect of even more to come now stepping up in trip.
CHICHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 01: Runners in the pre parade ring before the first race at Goodwood Racecourse on August 1, 2018 in Chichester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
Hannon could already be on the board by then with his Neverland Rock appearing to hold sound claims in the Richmond Stakes at 15:00. He travelled best for a long way when third behind the impressive Quorto in the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket last time and should be suited by the drop back to six furlongs on that evidence.
Hannon has already lasted longer than most with Phoenix Thoroughbreds who own Neverland Rock – colleague Jeremy Noseda, jockey Gerald Mosse and bloodstock agent Kerri Radcliffe have all been unceremoniously dumped by the operation in the last year – and the son of No Nay Never is fancied to extend his trainer’s stay of execution with victory in this Group 2 prize.
Should the racing game not work out for Amer Abdulaziz, founder of Phoenix Thoroughbreds, he can always consider a TV career when Sir Alan Sugar eventually steps down from The Apprentice.
Fans of that show will likely have lumped on You’re Hired when he won the 1m2f handicap for three-year-olds in 2016, and the advice is to do likewise when Al Jellaby lines up in this year’s renewal at 13:50.
The form of his latest second at Doncaster is working out well and he certainly appeals as one who is ahead of his mark, 3 lbs clear on Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings here, and likely to prove suited by going beyond a mile for the first time.
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*All odds correct at time of posting