Home and away: Richard Hannon looks for big winners in Australia and the USA
Raymond Tusk on the Herridge gallop (September 2019) Marlborough trainer Richard Hannon was recently named the most successful trainer during Newbury's Flat season. Now he is sending two of his star horses abroad in search of international glory - and big prize money.
On Tuesday the field for the Melbourne Cup - Australia's most famous race - will include the Hannon-trained Raymond Tusk. This 4-year-old colt has won the Listed Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton (July 2018) and the Group 2 Italian St Leger at San Siro (October 2018.)
In August this year he came fourth in the Skybet Ebor Handicap at York - in a field of 22. He was ridden then by Jamie Spencer who will be riding Raymond Tusk again in Melbourne. After a canter with Raymond Tusk on Tuesday, Spencer said he was "...in good shape and I wish the race was tomorrow."
Raymond Tusk is owned by Middleham Park Racing with Kulbir Sohi - and he is the syndicate's first runner in Australia. A 28-strong group of connections have travelled to Melbourne to watch their horse.
The prize money for the race is set at the equivalent of £4,300,000. Raymond Tusk won his first outing - a Maiden Stakes at Newbury in April 2018, with not quite that level of prize money.
Billesdon Brook at full stretch... 
...and afterwards as perky as ever
Staff of the Hannon yards at Herridge and Everleigh will also be watching closely on Saturday (November 2) to see how another of their charges fares in the international stage - in California. The 4-year-old filly Billesdon Brook will be running in one of the races of the Breeders' Cup two-day meeting at Santa Anita Park - another world famous event in the tracing calendar.
With Sean Levey aboard, she will be in the Maker's Mark Filly and Mare Turf race - over one and a quarter miles with a prize purse of $2 million. As of today, there will be a field of eleven for this race.
Billesdon Brook has won seven of her nineteen races - in May 2018 she won the Group 1 Qipco 1000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket. Her last victory was also at Newmarket: she took the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes on 5 October - winning £151,344 for her owners the Pall Mall Partners and Mrs McCreery.
It is certainly going to be an exciting few days for the Hannons, their staff and two very experienced jockeys.