Hannon double marks end of Goodwood May Festival

A DOUBLE for Richard Hannon and a thrilling win for Enlace in a £75,000 handicap were among the highlights of the final day of action at Goodwood’s May Festival.
Richard Hannon had three winners at Goodwood's three-day May FestivalRichard Hannon had three winners at Goodwood's three-day May Festival
Richard Hannon had three winners at Goodwood's three-day May Festival

Hannon looks to be setting himself up for a good tilt at retaining his title of Goodwood’s top trainer after three successes at the three-day meeting.

Both his winners on Saturday were tipped on this website.

The first Hannon success came in the ebfstallions.com Maiden Fillies’ Stakes as Pat Dobbs - another Goodwood regular who has had a good festival - guided Bournemouth Belle home first as 5/6 favourite.

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Hannon followed that with Cam Hardie’s win on the 6/4 favourite Black Cherry in the final race, the EBF Stallions Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

But if the Hannon yard have an early eye on the Dick Hern Trophy, then the only other trainer to win the prize since 2008 - Mark Johnston - might have something to say about it.

Johnston scored his second win of the festival when Nicky Mackay took the 888sport Stakes - which was boasting a 50 per cent increase in prize money to £75,000 - on 12/1 Enlace. The three-year-old took it by a nose in front of Hannon’s King To Be.

Saturday’s card - watched by another healthy-sizd crowd and part-televised on Channel 4 - began with two listed races, both of which Goodwood hope to bump up to Group Three status before too long.

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The 888sport Festival Stakes was won by Jim Crowley on The Corsican (7/2) for David Simcock, while the 888sport Tapster Stakes went to Graham Lee’s identically-priced Ayrad, sent to post by Roger Varian.

Trainer Roger Charlton enjoyed his second festival success in two days when the Lidsey Silver Anniversary Stakes was won by Jimmy Fortune on 9/2 contender Quest For More.

The shock win of the day came when Divine Call (20/1) landed the Federation Of Bloodstock Agents Stakes Veterans’ Handicap for Franny Norton and Milton Bradley.

The three-day festival was a big success all in all and Goodwood’s attention now turn to their June programme, which comprises the Three Friday Nights (June 5, 12 and 19) and the Sunday School charity family raceday on June 7.

STEVE BONE

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See reaction and pictures from the May Festival in the Chichester Observer on Thursday.

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