Hannon keen to head to the Curragh with Guineas duo

Newmarket-placed Rosallion and Haatem on course for Irish equivalent next.

Richard Hannon is eyeing another crack at Classic glory with Rosallion and Haatem having seen his star colts finish second and third behind Notable Speech in the Qipco 2000 Guineas.

The Wiltshire-based handler headed to Newmarket with supreme confidence behind Rosallion, who has always been held in high regard and ended his two-year-old season by securing Group One honours on Arc day in France.

He was seen as Britain’s best hope of denying the much-vaunted City Of Troy, while Haatem emerged on the Guineas scene when striking over course and distance in the Craven last month, with both living up to their hype in the opening Classic of the season.

Rosallion travelled powerfully through the one-mile event, finding just the Charlie Appleby-trained winner too strong in the closing stages, while Haatem proved his Craven success was no fluke to make the podium, beaten just over three lengths.

Hannon is plotting turning the tables on Notable Speech at Royal Ascot with Rosallion, but before the St James’s Palace Stakes enters the equation, both his colts will be given another bite at the Classic cherry at the Curragh later this month in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas.

Haatem was a game third in the 2000 Guineas
Haatem was a game third in the 2000 Guineas (Bradley Collyer/PA)

“I’m immensely proud of both horses, they ran good races and we’ll have a lot of sport with them through the year,” said Hannon.

“The winner is an extremely good horse, I never want to see him again, but we might take him on at Ascot around a bend and it might be a different story.

“I think on the way, they’ll both go to Ireland, that’s the plan.”

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