d**k Turpin stepped up to 10 furlongs
d**k Turpin, who finally gained a deserved Group One victory in the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly last time, will be heading back to France for his next run.
Richard Hannon has chosen to test the colt in the Group Two Prix Guillaume d’Ornano, which will be his first attempt at a mile-and-a-quarter. Explaining his choice Hannon said on his website: “It would have cost us £60,000 to supplement d**k Turpin for the Juddmonte International at York, and as he is not entered in next Saturday's Hungerford Stakes at Newbury we have opted to head back across the channel.
“Richard Hughes is adamant that d**k Turpin will have the stamina for 10 furlongs, and France suits him as there is always the strong possibility that he will get a bit of dig in the ground out there.
“Even with his 7lb penalty, d**k Turpin stands head and shoulders above the likely opposition, and he will hopefully be very hard to beat. He has been a star for us this season and after hitting the crossbar in both the English and French Guineas and also run a cracker at Royal Ascot [in the St James’s Palace Stakes], he thoroughly deserved his day in the sun at Chantilly, and he just seems to get better and better.”
Hannon will still consider dropping d**k Turpin back to a mile, which could bring him into competition with other Hannon horses in a season when the yard has three of Europe’s best milers. "d**k Turpin could then cross swords again with our own Canford Cliffs in the QEII at Ascot or maybe take on Paco Boy in the Prix Moulin at Longchamp, but he has proved himself a very good horse, and we are all looking forward to Deauville.”
Hannon also expressed his sympathy with connections of Harbinger, who runs under the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing banner run by Harry Herbert, an organisation for which Hannon has trained with great success in recent seasons.
“Harry is a big supporter of ours, both under the Highclere banner and also the Royal Ascot Racing Club, and we all feel very sad for him. Harbinger looked to be the real deal when he won the King George by 11 lengths in record time at Ascot, and this is a major blow.
“Hopefully, we can provide Harry and his team with the perfect pick-me-up when Memory defends her unbeaten record in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh at the end of the month."
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