Richard Hannon seeks Reckless Reward in Super Sprint
Richard Hannon is man who has spent plenty of time shopping in racing’s bargain basement and finding value for money.
This season alone Canford Cliffs (50,000gns), d**k Turpin (26,000gns) and Paco Boy (30,000gns) have brought the trainer his biggest haul of Group One wins in a season, four, and an £80,000 lead over Sir Michael Stoute in the trainers’ championship.
Hannon is nothing if he is not a realist and admits that he will struggle to win the title that he claimed in 1992. As ever the Hannon two-year-olds played a big part in his success that year, led by the “pocket rocket” Lyric Fantasy. The champion sprinter’s victories included the Nunthorpe Stakes at York and the second running of the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury, a race with which the trainer is closely associated.
The race, which was first run in 1991, was the brainchild of Lord Carnarvon, Lyric Fantasy’s owner and then chairman of the racecourse, and Hannon as a race that could offer a big prize for horses at the lower end of the market.
It restricted to horses sold as yearlings by public auction for 48,000gns or less. The weights carried are determined by the sale price of the horses, with 1lb deducted for each 3,000gns below 48,000gns to a minimum weight of 7st 12lb. Hannon has won the race seven times and has no fewer than nine juveniles to pick from for this year's renewal.
Recalling that first planning meeting at his yard, Hannon said on his website: “It was myself and Lord Carnarvon who devised the Super Sprint in this very kitchen, and, not surprisingly maybe, M'Lud won the first running with Lyric Fantasy. She was a very fast filly, as was Risky [who won the next year], while Monsieur Chevalier, who did the business for us last year, but might not run this season as he has cracked a pelvis, was another good one to win it for us.
"It’s a very special race and we always try and put a few by for it, but I am not sure that we are as strong as usual in the five furlong division, and we will have to see how they work during the week before finalising plans.”
Given that this year’s kindergarten class have come up with 53 winners, at a strike-rate of 28%, the final team picked for the race will be among the market leaders and the one that Hannon particularly likes is Reckless Reward (pictured left), but the final decision may not be in his hands alone. “The one I would like to run is Reckless Reward, who has bags of speed and would be a major contender on his second in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot, but we are in the process of putting a deal together to have him sold to Hong Kong, and it all depends on whether it goes through in time, and, if it does, whether the new owners want to have one last roll of the dice over here.
“Besides him, I like Rossetti, who won really well over six furlongs at Chepstow. The form of that race is working out well, and dropping back in trip won't be a problem - he has plenty of speed and you need to stay to win this race as they don't stop at the stations over Newbury's five.
“Jaahiz would also be dropping back in trip, having won over six at York last Saturday, but he was impressive up there and would have no trouble in lying up, while Bilko Pak is a solid horse who has already won twice and Kodiak and Roche Des Vents are also speedy types who might be worth a shot.”
One Hannon two-year-old who is definitely ineligible is Date With Destiny. The only horse sired by George Washington cost her own Julie Wood 320,00gns as a yearling and recouped £4,533 when she won a maiden at Newbury on Friday. “It will be a softly softly approach and I won't be throwing the filly in the deep end just yet,” Hannon said.
“We expected Date With Destiny to run very well at Newbury as she had been working great, but I was anxious to keep a low-profile and not put pressure on the filly, so I did not shout up her chances beforehand. However, though there were several others fancied in the race, she won readily and it was a very pleasing start.”
Date With Destiny was certainly not from the bargain basement but, if she can match the achievements of her sire, she would prove value for money.
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