Hannon relishing Royal Ascot rematch with Lockinge third Rosallion
The Hannon family have an exceptional record in their local racecourse's Group One highlight, with the likes of Paco Boy (2010), Canford Cliffs (2011), Olympic Glory (2014) and Night Of Thunder (2015) on the roll of honour.
Rosallion drifted out to 9-4 from his early morning position as favourite and having not run since winning the St James's Palace Stakes 12 months ago, a lack of match practice told in the end.
A 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 win for @LeveySean
Rosallion battles to the line in the St James's Palace Stakes#ITVRacing | #RoyalAscot | @rhannonracing pic.twitter.com/sCqs4VrVJa
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 18, 2024
He was beaten two-and-a-quarter lengths by John and Thady Gosden's Lead Artist, but Hannon is relishing locking horns with those ahead of him once again in the Queen Anne Stakes next month.
Hannon said: 'He's an extremely good horse and will strip a lot fitter next time and will take a lot of beating at Ascot. I'm looking forward to Ascot.
'I think for all big owners and trainers, all roads lead to Ascot and especially with this horse it is almost impossible to get him to run his best race on his first race.
'He's a year older now but he did take a bit (of getting ready) last year and that may have just cost us a Guineas. But he's proved he's the horse he was last year and almost hit the front there and he will improve for it.
'It boils down to match fitness and I have no doubt he will run very well at Ascot. They are all very good horses and of course I'm disappointed not to win, but I'm sure in a couple of hours I will be happy he has actually run a really good race.
'He travelled into the race lovely and Sean (Levey, jockey on Rosallion) and William (Buick) on Notable Speech are probably both in the same boat in thinking that their horses will improve massively and they are both proven Group One winners.'
Also making his comeback was the aforementioned Notable Speech, who denied Rosallion in the 2000 Guineas last season before seeing the tables turned at Royal Ascot.
Just a short head separated the pair at Newbury, with Notable Speech's trainer Charlie Appleby joining Hannon in looking ahead to another high-profile clash at the Royal meeting.
'I'm delighted and William said he showed all his old enthusiasm,' said Appleby.
'He's travelled and you can see from Will's body language he's holding on to him and tracking the horse he felt was the right horse to go and attack.
'He just got tired in the last 200 yards but it will put him spot on for Ascot.'
One of the early stars of the Flat season has undoubtedly been Roger Teal's Dancing Gemini, who is still searching for an elusive top-level triumph having rattled the crossbar once again in being beaten just a neck in second.
Lead Artist was 13 lengths behind Dancing Gemini when Teal's charge won the bet365 Mile at Sandown last month and the trainer said: 'The winner has beaten us before and he obviously needed that race badly at Sandown. I did think he was well overpriced and not to be taken lightly.
'The ground was rattling fast, Ryan (Moore) said it was as quick as he's ever been on and just felt the ground might have beaten us.
'We don't duck and dive, he's only gone down a neck and he's put the rest of the field a good distance behind him.
'He had an awkward draw on the flank there (in stall one) so Ryan had to take him back to get a bit of cover, he said he was a little further back than he wanted to be but what else do you do when you're stuck out there?
'He's gone down on his sword and he hasn't let us down. He'll be a Group One winner on his day.'
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'That needs more clarity. There's millions and millions and millions going into gambling. When you go into the bookmakers and wager on football you have all the information. Who's injured, who's failed a late fitness test. If a footballer had been arrested for smashing up his car and putting someone in hospital it would be a story. It's all public domain, but in horse racing unless you are deeply involved you wouldn't know how the horse has been training or if the stable itself is betting on that horse or even if the trainer was betting on it. 'It's not a problem that trainers can gamble as long as there is transparency. Something like the stock market where if a CEO sells or buys shares the public know. There's no reason why this can't be open. Why is it a secret in the UK?' Joorabchian believes the answers lie across the Atlantic – and in the head offices of UK bookmakers. 'When I see what is going on in America I come home and think 'My God, how we can evolve?' he says. 'I think of how much of a gap there is. There was a race here the other day, £2.5m worth of horses running for the first time. The winner took home two-and-a half-grand. No wonder people are afraid to invest. 'In the US people will buy a horse for $250-300,000 because they know they have the potential of making that and then some in prize money. Over there you have a real chance of a return on your investment. Here, more money has to start coming in to the sport from gambling than it currently does from the levy. You see, for example Bet365 and the salary of its CEO (Denise Coates was reported to have made £95m in the year to March 2024), how much money they make. Ladbrokes, William Hill's, whomever. 'Why is a bigger portion of that money not coming back into the industry? And by the way, it should be the same with football. If you do it with football your Championship, League One and League Two clubs benefit. The races get bigger, you attract international runners, better competition, that competition creates a better vibe, more people, more money channelling to the trainers, the stables. 'It allows you to pay a stable lad more than just enough to survive that week. The betting companies are getting bigger and bigger and the people richer and richer but the sport facilitating those bets does not get a big enough benefit.' You may wonder why, given all of the above, Joorabchian is bothering. He is, however, clear with his motives. 'I'm not trying to disrupt the industry,' he says. 'I absolutely love racing. I really believe in the growth of racing. I believe it has tremendous growth potential. We haven't got anywhere near to touching the surface of what this industry can be. I want to see this sport grow in the right way. People love working in the industry but they can't make it work financially and that needs to change.' It is perhaps telling that his first project at Freemason was an upgrade to the stable housing. 'I looked at the place and there was mould in there,' he explains. 'Now, the guys on site live in brand new accommodation. Everything is high quality. TV, WiFi, everything they need.' It is also telling that, as the interview nears a conclusion, it is again the stable lads at the forefront of his mind. 'Look, all I want is for the sport to be open, non-hypocritical and to create a competition that can rise,' he says. 'To make that happen the gambling sites need to put some money back into the game. I am going to open a charity next year. I will go to every betting firm and ask them to put money into this or any charity which helps the welfare of the industry. When they don't I'll have no problem exposing that. You made £600m – congratulations - two people committed suicide. You benefit from that yard, why are you not giving anything back? 'It's disgraceful that each of these companies are not putting at least half a million each back into a charity like Racing Welfare that struggles to raise the £3.5m it needs to support these situations every year.' Before he departs, Joorabchian has one more thing to make clear. 'I just want to get people to understand that there is a much deeper story in racing that you don't see,' he explains. 'I am not trying to throw any individual under a bus, I just believe this needs to be out in the open. My investment and my goal in racing in the UK and Ireland is because I want to make it better. 'I am proud of our achievements this year, that we have managed to raise the bar and make it more competitive. We've helped create a healthy marketplace and I'm hoping that improves the competition. I'm trying to help to make it successful.'
