Richard Hannon Jr

Son to four-time Champion Trainer Richard Hannon Sr, Richard Hannon Jr - born on November 21, 1975 - has taken over where his father left off in 2013 and has enjoyed plenty of big-race winners.

His father trained over 4,000 winners, with his final year in training his best of the lot, racking up 238 winners and over £4.5 million in prize money despite having started with just nine horses, including five hurdlers. Hannon Jr described the task as ‘impossible’ when taking over from his father, but enjoyed immediate success at East Everleigh.

A brilliant first season which included 2000 Guineas success with Night of Thunder and a Queen Anne Stakes victory with Toronado was a sign of things to come for the Hannon team.

Night of Thunder repeated the Group 1 trick in 2015 with a Lockinge Stakes victory at Newbury, while Hannon showed his versatility by training the Coronation Cup winner with Pethers Moon in the same season.

Ventura Storm gave Hannon a rare win in Italy in 2016, taking the Gran Premio del Jockey Club but it was the following year that he had yet more success at the Royal meeting.

Barney Roy had been beaten by Aidan O’Brien’s Churchill in the 2000 Guineas but exerted revenge in the St. James’s Palace Stakes, beating another Ballydoyle inmate Lancaster Bomber. The Godolphin horse would go on to be a narrow second in the Coral Eclipse at Sandown and third in the Juddmonte International at York Racecourse.

A second Classic then followed for Hannon in 2018, with 66/1 shot Billesdon Brook starting the outsider of the 15-runner field. But despite the lack of market confidence, she repelled all challengers to give Hannon a first success in the 1000 Guineas.

Despite his relatively short time in training, Richard Hannon has had plenty of Group success for the likes of Al Shaqab Racing and Godolphin. He has also enjoyed a fruitful spell with early two-year-olds including the likes of Tiggy Wiggy, and has trained plenty of Group 1 winners over a mile including Barney Roy for Godolphin in 2017.

Stable stars for Richard Hannon include:

Tiggy Wiggy – Lowther Stakes, Cheveley Park Stakes, Champion two-year-old filly (all 2014)

Night of Thunder – 2000 Guineas (2014), Lockinge Stakes (2015)

Toronado – Queen Anne Stakes (2014)

Olympic Glory – 4x Group 1 winner including QEII Stakes (2012) and Prix Jean-Luc Lagadere (2013)

Pether’s Moon – Coronation Cup (2015)

Barney Roy – St. James’s Palace Stakes (2017)

Billesdon Brook – 1000 Guineas (2018)

Richard Hannon Sr began training at East Everleigh Stables in 1968 and would add Herridge to the stable 25 years later, handing over the yard to his son when he retired. Facilities at East Everleigh include a seven-furlong sand gallop and a seven-furlong all-weather track as well as a mile round polytrack gallop at Herridge. There are numerous grass gallops at both facilities totalling some 250 acres, with the turf at Everleigh having been in operation as a gallop for over a hundred years.

Other facilities include several starting stalls, horse walkers, turnout pens, hot water showers and an indoor school, meaning they are able to provide the necessary facilities for a training yard regardless of the weather or horse.

Three-time champion jockey Richard Hughes was the stable jockey for both Hannon Sr and Jr until his retirement in 2014, moving into training himself. As a result, Hannon uses a wide range of jockeys, with Sean Levey taking up the majority of rides, including the 1000 Guineas victory on Billesdon Brook. Other riders used include Silvestre De Sousa, Tom Marquand, Dane O’Neill and Fergus Sweeney.

Anna Nerium (4yo): After Group 3 success in her last three seasons, Anna Nerium has been a mark of consistency for the Richard Hannon team. Her most recent victory came at Epsom in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes and that might have just booked her spot at Royal Ascot in the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes. Having improved for the step back up to the mile trip this season, the four-year-old filly could be a likely outsider at the Royal meeting.

King of Change (3yo): This three-year-old colt could prove to be a serious Group 1 contender. Having been beaten on both two-year-old starts, he won a decent Nottingham race in April to book his spot in the 2000 Guineas. As a 66/1 shot, King of Change ran a stormer to finish just over two lengths behind the winner Magna Grecia in second. Assuming that wasn’t a fluke run, this three-year-old must have a bright future and should be involved in the Group 1 St. James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot later this month.

Fox Champion (3yo): This progressive three-year-old looks worth following wherever he runs. After a promising two-year-old debut at Doncaster, he won at Kempton before returning to Doncaster to make a winning reappearance. Since then, Fox Champion - owned by King Power Racing - has won a valuable conditions race at Newmarket and claimed the Group 2 German 2000 Guineas in May. He has St. James’s Palace Stakes and Sussex Stakes entries but Hannon could also opt for the seven-furlong Jersey Stakes.

Threat (2yo): Despite making just one start for Richard Hannon, this precocious two-year-old made quite the impression on debut. Against two fancied Godolphin opponents, Threat always looked to have things under control, bolting clear despite drifting across the track and taking the five-furlong novice event by more than two lengths. The third and fourth from that race have ran well since and it would be no shock if this juvenile - who has a Group 2 entry at the Curragh - ends up at Royal Ascot in the Coventry Stakes or the Norfolk Stakes.