Richard Hannon | Horse Racing Free Tips

Prize Money For British Champions Day Boosted By 60 Percent

Prize money for this year's QIPCO British Champions Day will be £4 million (US$4.88 million), cementing its position as the richest raceday in the British calendar. The QIPCO Champion Stakes is set to be the richest race in the UK this year with £1.2 million (US$1.47 milion) in prize money. The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO) will also run for in excess of £1 million (US$1.22 million). The three remaining pattern races on the card each will offer a prize fund of £500,000 (US$610,000). In all, prize money across the card will increase by 60 percent on 2020 levels, which were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Champion Trainer John Gosden said: “We are very grateful to QIPCO and British Champions Series for putting up such a valuable raceday. It is so important for British racing that there is internationally competitive prize money on offer for owners who are the bedrock of our sport. Champions Day has quickly become one of the most important racedays in the global racing calendar and with such generous prize money, I am sure that it will continue to thrive.”

Sheikh Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Thani, director of QIPCO Holding said: “We are proud to sponsor QIPCO British Champions Day, the most valuable day in the British racing calendar and are pleased that this year's raceday, which marks the tenth anniversary of our sponsorship, will be run for £4 million. The day has established itself at the pinnacle of the global racing calendar and it is only fitting that the prize money reflect that.”

Richard Hannon, who won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO) with King of Change in 2019 said, “You always want to have runners on QIPCO British Champions Day and it'll be even more important this year with such fantastic prize money on offer. All credit to QIPCO and the team for making it happen – it's a real boost for everyone in the game.”

This year's QIPCO British Champions Day takes place on Saturday Oct. 16 at Ascot Racecourse, and marks the 10th Anniversary of QIPCO's sponsorship of the event and the wider QIPCO British Champions Series.

QIPCO British Champions Day Prize Money 2020 vs 2021

2020 2021 % difference
QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 2) £300,000 £500,000 +67%
QIPCO British Champions Sprint (Group 1) £350,000 £500,000 +43%
QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares (Group 1) £350,000 £500,000 +43%
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO) (Group 1) £650,000 £1,100,000 +69%
QIPCO Champion Stakes (Group 1) £750,000 £1,200,000 +60%
Balmoral Handicap (sponsored by QIPCO) £100,000 £200,000 +100%

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Ribchester Colt Streaks to Rising Stardom at Newbury

Richard Hannon trainee Gisburn (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) was unable to make all when an Apr. 16 debut fourth tackling five furlongs at Newbury in his only prior start, but the flashy chestnut powered up over six furlongs at the Berkshire venue to earn TDN Rising Stardom in hugely impressive fashion. The well-backed 6-4 favourite was sharpest from the gates and seized an immediate lead. Last off the bridle after halfway, he was given a shake of the reins with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining and surged clear in the closing stages to leave Kingmax (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) trailing 6 1/2 lengths in his wake, becoming the third winner for his freshman sire (by Iffraaj {GB}).

“Gisburn hasn't done much since his first run, but he's a horse Richard [Hannon] has loved from the day he saw him,” revealed winning rider Pat Dobbs. “His debut here was good, but he ran green. He was professional today, although I'd rather he didn't hang right. He's still a baby though, but very exciting, and he put a lot of daylight between them. I'm sure he'll go to Royal Ascot, maybe for the [June 15 G2] Coventry.”

Gisburn is the seventh of eight foals and third scorer produced by Listed Prix Coronation runner-up Disclose (GB) (Dansili {GB}). He is a half-brother to Listed Golden Rose S. victor Encrypted (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) and a yearling filly by Lope de Vega (Ire). Descendants of his second dam Revealing (GB) (Halling), herself a half-sister to G2 Queen's Vase and G3 Park Hill S. placegetter Singleton (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) and a granddaughter of GI Oak Leaf S. heroine Arewehavingfunyet (Sham), also include G2 Rockfel S. and G3 Oh So Sharp S. placegetter Gavota (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), G3 Prix Paul de Moussac third Grand Vista (GB) (Danehill) and the dual stakes-placed World Ruler (GB) (Dansili {GB}).

2nd-Newbury, £6,900, Mdn, 5-14, 2yo, 6fT, 1:15.10, g/s.
GISBURN (IRE), c, 2, by Ribchester (Ire)
1st Dam: Disclose (GB) (SP-Fr), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Revealing (GB), by Halling
3rd Dam: Rive, by Riverman
Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $5,925. (€68,000 Wlg '19 GOFNOV; £88,000 Ylg '20 GOFFUK) O-Michael Kerr-Dineen & Martin Hughes; B-D Gibbons, M O'Meara & R Gogan (IRE); T-Richard Hannon. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Hannon Looking At “Bigger Picture” With Snow Lantern

Trainer Richard Hannon said he and the team behind Rockcliffe Stud's homebred 'TDN Rising Star' Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}) opted to bypass Sunday's G1 1000 Guineas with a view towards the “bigger picture,” which could include engagements in races like the G1 Prix de Diane, G1 Coronation S., G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and G1 Falmouth S. as well as a 4-year-old campaign. Snow Lantern became the subject of Guineas talk immediately after breaking her maiden in eye-catching fashion at Newbury on Apr. 18.

“It was a team decision,” said Hannon of the call to skip Newmarket this weekend. “She's by a Guineas [winner] out of a Guineas winner [Sky Lantern], so the 1000 Guineas looked her race, but you've got to look at the bigger picture. She has been lightly raced up to now. She's a very heavy filly, and they are looking to keep her as a 4-year-old. They don't want to throw her into the deep end right now. I hold her in the highest regard–I think she could be even better than her mum.”

Hannon, who also trained Sky Lantern, said Snow Lantern can be “a bit of a madam.”

“She's a bit difficult; she can be a bit keen and can be a bit of a madam. But you don't mind that when they have the talent and ability she has. I've never known a horse look so much like her mum, so much so I got Hughesie [former jockey Richard Hughes, who rode Sky Lantern] to sit on her when he was down one morning. He didn't feel this filly had the same sort of speed, but I think she had an off-day.

“I think she's a miler personally. She won very well at Newbury, and I think she's very good. Although it's a shame to miss the Guineas, it will give us the opportunity to look at big targets in the summer.”

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Chindit in Good Nick, Guineas Next

Sunday's G3 Watership Down Too Darn Hot Greenham S. hero Chindit (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) has emerged from his Newbury effort in good form and will contest the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas, trainer Richard Hannon has revealed. A winner of the Listed Pat Eddery S. on July 25 and G2 Champagne S. in September, the bay was ninth in the G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket in his 2-year-old finale.

“Chindit came out of the race brilliantly, he was in the pen most of the next day and has cantered this morning and he's fine,” said Hannon on Tuesday.

“His form is solid and it looks like he's going to be suited by the test of the Guineas. To me it looked as if he was crying out for a mile.”

His twice-raced stablemate Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}) graduated impressively on the Newbury card and earned 'TDN Rising Star' status, but she will not contest the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas.

Hannon said on his website, “Following a discussion with connections, Snow Lantern will not be taking up her engagement in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and will instead be aimed for either the G3 Musidora S. or the Listed Michael Seeley S. at York's May meeting.

“With the Michael Seeley being run over a mile and the Musidora over a mile and a quarter, both of these races will give us options and gives her an extra couple of weeks.

“Either race will give us a good guide on where we stand for the rest of the season with her too. She holds entries in the Epsom Oaks and Prix de Diane, and these engagements will be dependant on her York performance.

“There are plenty of options coming up for her. She is a special filly, with a beautiful pedigree and has already proved an exciting prospect for her owner-breeders, Rockcliffe Stud.”

Happy Romance (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), successful in the G3 Dick Poole Fillies' S., will be kept at sprint distances after running 10th in the G3 Fred Darling S.

“She just didn't stay, so we'll go sprinting,” said Hannon. “I must admit I thought she was sure to stay, but she clearly didn't.

“I don't mind admitting when I'm wrong, it happens often enough. There are still plenty of races she can go for and she's already won a Super Sprint, a Group 3 and a sales race at York already and the owners have had a ball. There are many good days left in her yet.”

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