Richard Hannon

Less than a week after his owner Kia Joorabchian announced that leading juvenile Persian Force (Ire) would be retired to stud, Roger O'Callaghan confirmed that the Group 2-winning speedster would be heading back home to Tally-Ho Stud, where he will stand alongside his father Mehmas (Ire) in 2023.  Tally-Ho snapped up Persian Force at the November Foal Sales at Goffs in 2020 for €75,000 from Ringfort Stud before selling the colt the following year at the Orby Sale to Peter and Ross Doyle for €225,000. Last seen finishing a gallant...

Group 2 winner Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}--Vida Amorosa {Ire}, by Lope De Vega {Ire}), placed three times at the highest level, has been retired to stand at stud in 2023, Amo Racing's Tom Pennington confirmed to the TDN on Sunday morning. A stud farm and fee for the precocious juvenile will be announced in the very near future. "Persian's done an incredible job, to be honest," Amo Racing's Kia Joorabchian told Nick Luck during Luck On Sunday. "He's done everything that Mehmas has done. Arguably, according to Richard Hannon,...

Few, if any, trainers have been in more consistent form this season than William Haggas, who now finds himself atop the table in Britain, with a strike-rate of 27% for the season. His earnings of £4,611,340 at the time of writing place him narrowly ahead of reigning champion Charlie Appleby. Top of the Somerville Lodge list of horses, and the earner of roughly a third of the yard's prize-money this year, is of course arguably the best horse in the world, Baaeed (GB), around whom continues to swirl uncertainty as...

   There was no fairytale at Deauville on Sunday as Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) failed to fire on her European bow in the G1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet won from the front by Elizabeth "Bunny" Roberts's Aristia (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). Aristia had found only Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) too strong in the G1 Nassau S. at Goodwood last time July 28 and that form saw to it that the Richard Hannon trainee traded at only 4-1 as Sean Levey sought to dictate to suit. Kept company by Rosscarbery (Ger)...

Group 2 winner Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), who won the G2 July S. last month and was second to Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) in the G1 Phoenix S. on Aug. 6, will contest the Aug. 21 G1 Prix Morny in Deauville, trainer Richard Hannon revealed on Sunday. "He came back in good shape and all being well we'll head to the Prix Morny," said Hannon. "He ran a good race in Ireland. I didn't think there was a 2-year-old that could beat him seven lengths, but...

Boardsmill Stud's first-season sire Poet's Word (Ire) (by Poet's Voice {GB}) is off the mark after his daughter Zabbie (GB) took Thursday's William Hill Build Your Odds Racing League Nursery H. at Doncaster. Placed three times before a disappointing ninth in a Southwell maiden July 29, the Richard Hannon-trained 9-1 shot raced towards the fore of the main group uder Sean Levey before earning the lead with half a furlong remaining and beating X J Rascal (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) by a head.

GOODWOOD, UK--Goodwood has been especially glorious this week for Ed Sackville, wearing two slightly different hats as bloodstock advisor and agent. First, Trillium (GB) (No Nay Never) blazed a trail in the G3 Molecomb S. for the Keswick family's Rockcliffe Stud, in which Sackville has played an active role in helping to assemble a broodmare band. The filly's success was followed on Thursday by victory in the G2 Richmond S. for Dr Jim and Fitri Hay's Royal Scotsman (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who was bought by SackvilleDonald for 125,000gns at Book...

Rockcliffe Stud's 2-year-old filly Trillium (GB) (No Nay Never--Marsh Hawk {GB}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was the lone distaffer in Wednesday's G3 Markel Molecomb S. at Goodwood and took full advantage of her gender allowance to deny Listed Dragon S. victor Rocket Rodney (GB) (Dandy Man {Ire}) in the five-furlong dash. She had opened up with a June 17 debut second tackling six furlongs at the Sussex venue and was let go at a generous 7-1 coming back off a four-length tally, again over six, at Newbury earlier this month....

Earning compensation for respectable efforts in the top league, Michael Pescod's Chindit (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) battled to a typically game success in Saturday's G2 Fred Cowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile at Ascot. Third in the May 14 G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury and fourth in the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot June 14, the 85-40 second favourite was in shallower waters here and took to the lead early to establish his presence. Looking likely to surrender as the 7-4 favourite Mutasaabeq (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) edged ahead...

Amo Racing's €225,000 Goffs Orby yearling Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}--Vida Amorosa {Ire}, by Lope De Vega {Ire}) ran second to 'TDN Rising Star' Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) in Royal Ascot's G2 Coventry S. last month and, in the absence of late scratching Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never), justified odds-on favouritism to claim a first stakes success in Thursday's G2 Close Brothers July S. at Newmarket. He had previously debuted with a win in a stellar renewal of Doncaster's Mar. 26 Brocklesby S. and doubled up in a...

Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), runner-up in the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot, is an 'outstanding chance' to following in his sire's hoofsteps to win the G2 July S. on July 7, according to trainer Richard Hannon. Owned by Amo Racing, the colt won his first two starts at Doncaster and Newbury in March and May, respectively. "Persian Force worked super on Tuesday and the July S. has always been the plan since he finished second in the Coventry S. at Royal Ascot," said Hannon. "It comes at the...

Dual group winner Lusail (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) is pointing to Royal Ascot, trainer Richard Hannon revealed on Tuesday. A start in the one-mile G1 St James's Palace S. or the six-furlong G1 Commonwealth Cup S. are both being considered for the Al Shaqab Racing colourbearer, as is the G3 Jersey S. Successful in both the G2 July S. and G2 Gimcrack S. last term, Lusail resumed with a second in the G3 Greenham S. in mid-April and was a close sixth in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on...