Wednesday 7 August 2019 08:00, UK
Richard Hannon celebrated reaching a century of winners for the season in the best possible fashion as he recorded a spectacular 4,458-1 five-timer at Newbury on Tuesday.
The Marlborough handler was saddling five winners on a single card for the first time in his career, with 6-1 co-favourite Ritchie Valens landing the Seventeen Group Races Won By Oakgrove Graduates Handicap that brought the meeting to a close.
Hannon said: "I would say that is my first five-timer on one card. It's amazing and I'm delighted, though I didn't see it coming. To get five winners in a day is unbelievable.
"It is lovely to have it for Chelsea Thoroughbreds and it makes a difference when you get milestones with people that have made a difference to you over the years.
"We like to think we keep a lot of owners happy, but it is lovely to reach the 100 winners on one for this crowd."
Chatham House (6-1) got the ball rolling for Hannon when finally striking gold at the 11th attempt, posting a length-and-a-quarter success in the Donnington Grove Veterinary Surgery Handicap.
Hannon said: "He has taken a long time to win and has not achieved what I thought he was capable of. He is the sort of horse that might put a sequence together if he continues in that sort of form."
Sesame Birah made the most of a drop in class when successfully giving weight away all round to form leg three of Hannon's haul in the opening division of the Mildmay Farm And Stud Novice Median Auction Stakes.
Hannon said of the even-money winner: "She didn't have a great draw, but she still beat them. She ran very well in a Group Three and was unlucky not to be third.
"Silvestre (de Sousa) said she might be better coming back to six furlongs. She got a good bit clear at the furlong pole and she just might have got a bit tired."
James Doyle was responsible for partnering two of Hannon's winners, the first of which came aboard the Julie Wood-owned D Day (11-2) in division two of the seven-furlong contest.
Wood said: "This is my 20th season with them (Hannons). He (D Day) was green at Salisbury and today he knew a lot more. James felt he had plenty of horse under him."
Hannon and Doyle teamed up for more success, with Qaysar going one better than at Sandown when flooring his rivals by four and a half lengths in the feature Melbourne 10 "Only 36 Days To Laytown Races" Handicap.
Hannon said of the 6-1 victor: "I thought he was just coming right, but that the ground might have been a bit quick. He is a decent horse on his day. He will have a good year this year when he gets a bit of ease in the ground in autumn."
Twelve months after joining forces to take the John Drew Memorial Maiden Fillies' Stakes with Magnetic Charm, Doyle and trainer William Haggas proved a winning combination again, this time through debutant Wejdan (13-2).
Doyle said: "She was a bit green early on and we ended up a bit further back than I wanted. It was a good performance for her to come from where she did, as she made up most of the ground herself.
"She is a fair tool and hopefully she will go on from here."
