Rosallion impresses Hannon with easy Newbury verdict

PA Sport Reporters
June 7, 2023 5:19 pm

Royal Ascot on option for promising juvenile.

Rosallion and Son may have both earned themselves a place in Richard Hannon’s squad for Royal Ascot after opening their respective accounts at Newbury on Tuesday.

Rosallion was unraced prior to the first division of the Get A Run For Your Money At BetVictor Maiden Stakes, but there was plenty of confidence behind him in the market as the 11-8 market leader.

The Blue Point colt needed a little persuasion from rider Sean Levey, but the further he went, the better he looked and he was ultimately well on top at the line.

A tilt at the Coventry Stakes – a race the trainer’s father Richard Hannon senior won with Rock City in 1989, Canford Cliffs in 2009 and Strong Suit in 2010 – would appear an obvious target and he is a 14-1 shot for the Group Two contest with Paddy Power.

Backed as if defeat was not ever on the agenda, debutant Rosallion (Blue Point) storms clear @NewburyRacing as the 11-8f under @LeveySean 🏇
Fascinating to see where @rhannonracing goes next with this useful prospect 🤔 pic.twitter.com/d2H23KmBuO

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 7, 2023

“I was delighted. He’s got the job done and going past the line he’s quite impressive,” Hannon told Racing TV.

“He took a bit of time to get going, he’s never really been off the bridle at home and when you come to the races with those horses that do it very easily at home, they miss out on that side of the education.

“He knows what’s required now and he’ll improve massively for that. He could be a very good horse.”

When asked about future plans, the trainer added: “Yes he’s in the Railway Stakes, yes he could be a Coventry horse and yes I think he’s a horse for next year.

“They always say that today is the last day to make Royal Ascot horses and we’ll see how he comes out of the race. He’s a very good horse and that’s what we came here to see.”

Son (right) was too good for his rivals (David Davies/PA)

The Herridge handler looked to have every chance of doubling up in the second division, with Son a 6-5 favourite to build on the promise of his debut third at Ascot last month and he did so with a clear-cut victory in the hands of Pat Dobbs.

Owner Julie Wood, whose colours were carried to Coventry Stakes success by Strong Suit 13 years ago, would be quite happy for Son to head for Berkshire in a fortnight’s time.

She said: “It’s always a standing joke that anything that wins leading up to Ascot you always consider it and of course we will. Whether he ends up there or beyond I don’t know, but today we came away with the result we wanted and we’ve got a nice horse.

“I thought he did it nicely. There was one point in the middle of the race when you didn’t know which way it was going, but Pat didn’t really have to get serious with him and he lengthened away well.”

The other two-year-old race on the card, the opening Make Your Best Bet At BetVictor Restricted Maiden Fillies’ Stakes, went the way of the Amo Racing-owned Mapmaker (9-4 favourite).

Mapmaker (centre, purple) leads the way at Newbury (David Davies/PA)

Amo already has a strong team of juveniles bound for the Royal meeting and Daryll Holland’s Mapmaker, who finished third on her introduction at Redcar just last week, threw her name into the hat into the ring with a two-length verdict under Kevin Stott.

“She ran a nice race at Redcar and was bound to come on from that,” said the jockey.

“Daryll said she’d come out of the race really well and her homework was good. We had a bit of experience and she put it to bed at the two-furlong pole, so I was pleased.

“We’ve got a good team going to Ascot and I’m not sure what Daryll and Kia (Joorabchian, owner) would like to do with this filly, I’ll leave it to them,

Stott went on to complete a double of his own aboard 11-4 favourite Champagne Sarah in the Tune In To Weekend Winners Handicap.

Neil Callan also booted home two winners, steering Ed Dunlop’s Seal Of Solomon (6-1) to victory in the Follow BetVictor On Twitter Handicap and the Michael Bell-trained Burdett Road (6-1) to a runaway success in the concluding Gamble Responsibly At BetVictor Handicap.