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Richard Hannon: ‘1000 Guineas Hope Mammas Girl Looks A Million Dollars’

Richard Hannon has provided a positive bulletin on G3 Nell Gwyn S. winner Mammas Girl (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) ahead of Sunday's Qipco 1000 Guineas.

Owned by Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing vehicle, Mammas Girl is priced up at a general 7-1 chance for Guineas glory on Sunday.

Hannon, who sprang a 66-1 surprise in the 1000 Guineas with Billesdon Brook (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) in 2019, said, “This would be exactly the shot in the arm that will create something that Kia will never forget. Racehorses like this and days like this bring you something money can't buy. You can't come into it with millions of pounds and just buy a Guineas winner.

“Kia has had bad horses and good horses and he has invested heavily in the sport. It is important for people like him to get success. This would be like a life goal for him and it would be a nice story.”

He added, “I think this filly has an awful lot of scope and arrives in the Guineas with a perfect track record. Nobody could see Billesdon Brook coming, but with this filly it wouldn't be a surprise as she has won a Group 3 very well and they have all got her to beat.”

With neither Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) or Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), above Mammas Girl in the betting for Sunday's race, yet to be seen this season, Hannon thinks that his charge has an edge.

He said, “We've not seen anything of the first two in the market this spring and she has the advantage of a run and she will improve massively for that run going into the Guineas.

“There is only one way to get match fit and that is playing matches. She actually had a little haematoma on her thigh in February and we lanced it but that got infected and that slowed us up for between a month to six weeks so that wasn't ideal timing-wise.

“She wasn't there in her coat when we went to the Nell Gwyn but she looks a million dollars now as she is there in her coat. I thought she would run very well but I didn't think she would win like that [in the Nell Gwyn].”

He added, “I was surprised she won going away as she did as she is by a sprinter and out of a mare by a sprinter. Other people have said it will be doubtful if she gets a mile but she didn't look like she was stopping to me.

“I don't think the trip will be a problem as she wasn't stopping in the Nell Gwyn. She doesn't pull and they will go faster in the Guineas which will help her. She looks like a Group 1 filly.”

Mammas Girl may represent the best chance Hannon has of securing a second 1000 Guineas success, however, he believes that in the twice-raced Powerdress (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), he has another 'dark horse' that is capable of running well at a big price.

He said: “Powerdress is a gorgeous big filly and she is effectively a bit of Billesdon Brook. This filly is under the radar. She ran a super race against the colts at Newmarket last time.

“She was very big going into that race and she had not run since winning as a two-year-old on her debut at last year's Craven meeting.

“She just blew up coming out of the dip but she was the last one of the bridle. She will probably come on a stone for that. She is a dark horse in the Guineas and she could run very well.

“Her owner Martin Hughes (owner) is keen to have a go at it and I'm behind him as I think he is right to roll the dice.”

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2000 Guineas Day Races to Be Beamed Live for Betting

Eight races from the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas Day meeting at Newmarket on Saturday, May 6 will be simulcast by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the HKJC announced on Saturday. The Classic, which has been held since its inception in 1809, is the first leg of the illustrious original Triple Crown.

The first race from Newmarket is set to go at 20:40 p.m. Hong Kong time with the Guineas expected to leave the gate at 23:40 p.m. Final declarations and the barrier draw for the 2000 Guineas Day races will be available the morning of Friday, May 5.

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Ganay Exam For Vadeni

Six months on from his near-miss in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, The Aga Khan's Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) returns to ParisLongchamp on Sunday for what amounts to a stern test in the G1 Prix Ganay. Last year's G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Eclipse hero has a surprise awaiting him in James Wigan and Ballylinch Stud's G1 Champion S. winner Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}), who was impressive on his seasonal debut in 2022 when taking the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. Ballylinch Stud also have a significant involvement in Al Shaqab Racing's high-class G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), while Haras de la Perelle and Stephane Wattel's Simca Mille (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) and even Bertrand Milliere's Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) are hard to leave out of the picture with a run under their belts when first and second in the G2 Prix d'Harcourt here Apr. 9. That could be the way of things in 2023, with so many talented older horses remaining in training to provide reliable markers in these important contests.

Christophe Soumillon is well aware of the level of opposition to Vadeni. “He worked quite well on Tuesday, we all know the horse isn't 100% fit and it is the first run of the season,” he said. “He's going to have a tough season, for sure, we couldn't believe the Ganay would be that strong. I have been doing this job for 25 years now and I haven't seen a Ganay with so many group one horses. It's like a strong Champion S. race. We're not going to give him a hard race, as his targets are at Ascot and the Irish Champion and the Arc. We know he likes soft ground and even heavy and is very versatile.”

James Wigan said of Bay Bridge, who had been entered in the eventually-abandoned G3 Gordon Richards S. this week, “Sandown was our original thought, but then he would have carried a penalty for being a Group 1 winner after August, so being seven pounds worse off with Adayar (Ire) would have meant he would have a hard race at any rate, so we felt he might as well have a hard race in a group one as in a Group 3. There will be the usual pattern of races for him. I'm sure Sir Michael knows where he'll want to go, but this is a good spot to begin.”

La Parisienne Returns

On a day of welcoming back, Peter Bradley's G1 Prix de Diane runner-up La Parisienne (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) who was also third in the G1 Prix Vermeille and disappointing in the Opera makes her seasonal bow in the card's G3 Prix Allez France Longines. This is a chance to start anew for the talented 4-year-old, who is another prize ride for Soumillon who has taken France by storm so far this year.

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British NH Champions Named At Sandown

Trainer Paul Nicholls was awarded his 14th British Champion NH Trainer award, when the end-of-season champions were named at Sandown Park on Saturday. He is sitting on 3,582 British jump winners to date. Nicholls is eyeing the longstanding records of Martin Pipe, who accumulated 15 Champion Jump Trainer championships, and also saddled 4,183 winners under both codes.

“It's been a fantastic season with some fantastic horses that have been very consistent all through the campaign and we are obviously thrilled,” said Nicholls. “It reflects very well on the whole team and everyone involved that we've had a 28% strike rate right through from October until now, which is the best we've ever achieved.”

Bravemansgame (Fr) (Brave Mansonnien {Fr}), as well as Cheltenham Festival winners Stay Away Fay (Ire) (Shantou) and Stage Star (Ire) (Fame And Glory {Ire}), where some of the leading lights of the stable during the season.

“We want to compete at the highest level and we're getting there again,” the trainer added. “It's like with a football team–they might win the Premiership and then go away for four or five years before coming back. It's all about the players on the team.”

JP McManus, who won his 20th Irish Champion Owner title this year, earned his 15th British Champion Jumps Owner award. Later in the day, his Under Control (Fr) (Doctor Dino {Fr}) won the bet365 Novices' Championship Final Handicap Hurdle.

Brian Hughes won the Champion NH Jockey title for the third time with 165 winners. He is already focusing on attempting a fourth title, and beating his tally of 204 winners during the 2021-2022 season. His family was on hand at the racecourse on Saturday.

“There's a bus load at Sandown,” the jockey said, regarding his family and friends who traveled to watch the presentation. “I organised for a bus to take all the family down there. There's my wife and kids and then her parents and my parents and plenty of others, so logistically it seemed the right thing to do. It's a long way to go in cars and getting on a bus together takes the stress away.

“Everything was behind closed doors when I won my first title, but the welcome I got last year was great. I'm not really one for fanfare or anything like that, but my family had a good day.”

Luca Morgan was named the Champion Conditional Jockey. Morgan rode 45 winners through the 2022-2023 season for his boss, trainer Ben Pauling.

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