Richard Hannon
SO the calendar racing year began in Britain on January 1st with Big Society winning the 12.25 at Exeter, a novice hurdle under jockey Paddy Brennan and ended today with Call Me Vic winning the 3.50 at Warwick, a National Hunt bumper, in some style by nine lengths with Aodhagan Conlon on board.
A P McCoy may have been beaten in the last race of the year on the odds on favourite Bandit Country but the 18-times Champion Jockey still lit up the National Hunt scene with his never-say-die attitude in the saddle. One of the highlights of the year was his typical gritty determination to win on Mountain Tunes at Towcester in November, so bringing up an incredible 4,000th winner for A P.
It has been a year full of highs and lows in racing, which is after all what the game is all about. The lowest of the lows has to be the doping scandal surrounding the Godolphin operation and the eight-year ban dished out to trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni.
Everyone will have their favourite highs but surely Estimate winning the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot for Her Majesty the Queen would feature among anyone’s shortlist. Incredible to think that a reigning monarch had never won the coveted long distance Group One prize.
Racing will never be quite the same with the passing of the truly legendary Sir Henry Richard Amherst Cecil just a week before Royal Ascot, where the Master of Warren Place enjoyed a record 75 winners. Despite poor health, his preparation for the Royal Meeting which he so loved was as meticulous as ever and Riposte winning the Ribblesdale Stakes for Lady Cecil meant not a dry eye in the house. There were more tears but of a very different kind, surrounding the second Warren Place success, courtesy of Thomas Chippendale’s win on the final day in the Hardwick Stakes. Alas, the horse died of a heart attack straight after passing the line and there was an eerie emptiness around the Winner’s Enclosure as everyone tried to take in the tragic loss of both horse and his former trainer.
While it was business as usual with A P McCoy dominating National Hunt racing, not to be outdone, Richard Hughes also gained the plaudits for his artistry on the flat. He retained his Jockeys’ title with an incredible 208 winners and at last won a deserved English Classic, courtesy of Sky Lantern in the 1,000 Guineas. Not content with one fillies’ classic, 26 days later, he won the Oaks for trainer Ralph Becket on Talent.
Hughsie’s best ever season would not have been possible without the ever present firepower of father-in-law and his principal trainer, Richard Hannon who put him up on 127 of his winning mounts. The East Everleigh handler was again Champion trainer on the flat this season for the third time and he too enjoyed a record number of winners in a calendar year, an amazing 235.
From tomorrow onwards, we will no longer see Richard Hannon on the racecard as today was his last day in charge of the licence. There was no fairytale ending for Richard, who sent out three runners today at Lingfield. Unfortunately, Sebs Sensi was second in the 7f nursery while his last runner Lions Arch was third in the 7f handicap. However, just as Lady Cecil continues the great traditions at Warren Place, Richard Hannon Jnr will take over the mantle at the famous Wiltshire training base.
Congratulations to Richard Hannon senior on a fabulous training career which spanned over 40 years and saw him win eight English and Irish Classics and record 100 or more winners in a season on 20 occasions.
His name may no longer be on the license but he is sure to play a major role in operations at the Herridge and East Everleigh yards. We wish him a happy “semi-retirement”.
To everyone in racing…a very Happy and Prosperous New Year!
