Richard Hannon Hailed The New Champion With Record Prize Money

There are still almost three weeks left of the domestic season, but, while Richard Hannon's team drew a blank at last week's big meetings at Ascot and Newmarket, they still amassed plenty of prize money from the placed horses, so Richard's haul of £4,620,792 gives him a cushion of more than £460,000 over John Gosden. 

With next Saturday's Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster being the final Group 1 of the season and all the really valuable handicaps done and dusted, the fat lady has been on her feet since last week-end, acclaiming Richard Hannon as champion trainer in his very first season at the helm.

Furthermore, Richard's tally beats his father's record prize money from last year by more than £68,000, though they can both claim 16 Group winners each on home soil, so junior will be anxious to inch ahead some time between now and November 8. 

No Pattern prizes up for grabs until the week-end, but seven of the eight races at Newmarket tomorrow are two-year-old affairs, and the stable are well represented at HQ, with Crafty Choice flying the flag in the feature event, the 10-furlong Zetland Stakes. 

Hannon said:"Crafty Choice is on a roll, having won three off the spin, and he was going away at the finish when revelling in the soft ground at Nottingham last time, so neither the extra furlong nor the testing conditions will be a problem."