Speaking to BOYLE Sports , renowned trainer Richard Hannon has hailed the rise of Glorious Goodwood , insisting the quality of the racing at the Qatar -backed meeting now stands comparison with Ascot .
Hannon , whose stable is second only to the Gosdens for winners at the track, has run through a strong team headed by his banker Haatem in the Bentinck Conditions Stakes , and paid tribute to the Duke of Richmond 's influence on the festival.
The trainer has also reflected on a season that has already yielded 75 winners from 200 horses, and set out what a good return at Goodwood would look like this year.
The Goodwood Experience
How Special Is Goodwood?
Every year it gains more in popularity. And it's not just down to the prize money, which is amazing. Backed by Qatar , they've done such a good job there. But the quality of the racing is fantastic, and the venue is so much more intimate. It has a bit for everybody in there. They have maidens and nurseries; it is very much there for every owner: a lot of 0-90s, rather than them all being 0 to 110. So, you give someone a chance.
We have a lot of owners that target Goodwood just because it's such a lovely place to be, a lovely place to have runners. You can walk around everywhere. It's all in quite a small area. It's nowhere near the size of Ascot . It's also all the bits that go on around the periphery of it. The Duke of Richmond has done an amazing job. He is genuinely there the whole time, every day.
He's a personable and extremely pleasant man. He's a huge asset to it; whether he owns horses or not, I don't think it makes any difference. I'll get him one day to own a horse with me. I've told him that!
The Hannon Team
What Will You Have There?
I'll be running as many as I can! It's early days, and I'll have a clearer idea later. But Haatem will run and is as close to a banker that we have got. He runs in the Bentinck Conditions Stakes . He's been put aside for that. He ran very well at Ascot , just didn't get any daylight the whole way down, which is a shame. But he's in great form, and he has won the Group 2 Vintage Stakes .
I've got a runner in that this year called Cut a Dash , owned by Prince Faisal of Saudi Arabia 's Denford Stud . He was fourth in the Coventry Stakes and not beaten far. He has a huge chance. I'm going to enter him in the Richmond as well. Persian Spring might also go in that direction. In the Molecomb Stakes , I've got Pershaada , the filly that was third in the Queen Mary . She's also going to be entered in the Alice Keppel but will probably run in the Molecomb . The Alice Keppel is a newish race over 5f for two-year-old fillies. Hopefully we'll also have some nice horses for the maidens and the nurseries.
An Outlaw's Grace should go in the 0-85 6f handicap race. I've got a nice horse called Pearl River owned by Lord Carnarvon . He goes in the Coral Handicap Stakes over 11 furlongs for horses rated 0-90. In the Golden Mile I've got Bunyola Boy , who didn't get the Irish Derby trip but won the Gowran Park Classic ; St Anton , who has got better all year; Christian David , Classic and Law Court , who could be my NB at the meeting. He belongs to Al Shaqab Racing .
St Anton bombed out in the Britannia Stakes but has come back and won a very good race at Newmarket since. There's a nice two-year-old called Noble Traveller who could well run at Goodwood but might also go to Deauville , and then Aramram who will go in the Stewards' Cup . In the Oak Tree Stakes , I have a good filly called Orion's Belt , who hasn't run since last year. She was beaten half a length at Salisbury on soft ground. I won't have anything in the Sussex Stakes , the Nassau Stakes , the Goodwood Cup , the Lennox , or the Lillie Langtry .
Season So Far
Where Does Goodwood Feature in Your Priorities?
It's huge; it's the main part of the year before the ground starts changing. Races at Goodwood are as good as Ascot now. There's no point going there if you think you have a little chance. You'll have no chance! This time of year, we're probably seeing four very good two-year-olds a week emerge. So, Goodwood is really the last meeting before you start to get to Dewhurst and Cheveley Park territory. Winners down there are as important as at any festival meeting.
How Has the Season Gone Generally?
I've had a really good year. We have 200 horses in training. We've had 75 winners. Some of my two-year-olds are very good. I was placed in every two-year-old race at Ascot . Sonny Parvenue , who won the Richard Hannon Racing Novice Stakes , is going to go to the Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot on Saturday. We have won that with Rosallion and Chindit in the past. So, we have won it with some good horses, and hopefully he is up to that standard.
Goodwood Target
What Would a Good Goodwood Return Look Like?
I have a figure in my head then, and I wasn't going to tempt fate, but I will! Four winners would be good. And that could happen.
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