Richard Hannon-trained Barney Roy gears up for Ascot battle with Michael Stoute's Ulysses

  • Richard Hannon attended Qipco British Champions with no runners last year
  • But this year he is set to be in the thick of the action at Britain's richest race day 
  • Hannon's Barney Roy has a leading chance in this year's Champion Stakes 
  • The horse is once again set to go head-to-head with Michael Stoute's Ulysses 

Trainer Richard Hannon admits he felt a touch embarrassed attending Qipco British Champions day 12 month ago.

Without a runner, the top-table trainer was present at Britain's most valuable race day merely to have lunch and enjoy the action.

On Saturday, he will walk through the gates at Ascot with his head high ready to saddle a runner in Barney Roy with a leading chance of landing the feature £1.3million Champion Stakes.

Richard Hannon takes Barney Roy to Ascot this weekend for the Champion Stakes

Richard Hannon takes Barney Roy to Ascot this weekend for the Champion Stakes

Barney Roy, runner-up to Churchill in the 2,000 Guineas and winner of the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, will once again clash with Sir Michael Stoute-trained Ulysses, the colt which beat him two and a quarter lengths in the International Stakes at York in August.


But Hannon, champion trainer in 2014, the first year he took over his Wiltshire stable from his father Richard snr, reckons there are sound tactical reasons why the margin between the two horses will be much closer to the nose that separated them when Ulysses emerged just on top in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown in July.

Hannon, 41, said: 'Last year I went racing and walked round hoping no-one would see me. It was a little embarrassing.

Barney Roy with Deccy Levey leading out on the gallops in Wiltshire on Tuesday

Barney Roy with Deccy Levey leading out on the gallops in Wiltshire on Tuesday

'If I did not have a runner again, I would still be there to watch a fantastic race but will be even more fantastic if we could win it.

'In the International Stakes, we started taking Churchill on, two and a half maybe three furlongs out. It very much played into the hands of Ulysses. I bet they couldn't believe their luck, us two scrapping it out.

'It was like, we'll wait for you two lads to get knackered and we'll go past.

'Other than that, our form is very closely tied in with Ulysses and there should not be too much between them. We certainly won't be setting it up for him this time.'

Barney Roy went through a routine six and a half furlong work-out at Hannon's Wiltshire stables on Tuesday morning.

Last week, he was taken to Kempton for a work-out just as he has been before his major races this summer.

It put him in peak form for a contest which will also feature John Gosden-trained Prix Niel and Great Voltiguer Stakes winner Cracksman and French Derby winner Brametot.

Hannon's Barney Roy has a leading chance in this year's Champion Stakes

Hannon's Barney Roy has a leading chance in this year's Champion Stakes

Hannon is already looking to next season with the son of Excelebration, who he hopes will be kept in training by Sheik Mohammed's Godolphin operation.

Targets ranging from the Lockinge Stakes over a mile to the mile and a half Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe could be on the agenda for a colt Hannon concedes is very important his 200-strong stable which has just received an influx of 108 yearlings for the 2018 campaign

Hannon, who has trained 177 winners this year, said: 'I would very much like him to stay in training. I hope Sheik Mohammed is getting a lot of pleasure out of the horse.

'He'd have an excellent chance at Royal Ascot next year and that is the main meeting Sheik Mohammed seems to love.

'All we want to do is unearth the good horses and get back to the times when we had horses like Olympic Glory, Sky Lantern, Ivawood, Toormore and Canford Cliffs.

'You miss them. When you get one back, my god you appreciate them.

The horse is once again set to go head-to-head with Michael Stoute's Ulysses

The horse is once again set to go head-to-head with Michael Stoute's Ulysses

'Barney Roy is the horse your year is judged on. You could have 600 winners and it wouldn't matter. If you are not having runners in group one races.

'We've have a good year but you'd love to round it off with a £1m race.'

To reflect Barney Roy's status in the stable, his stable is the one which previously housed stars Paco Boy and Canford Cliffs.

'It's the honeymoon suite,' Hannon said. 'Two boxes knocked together with Sky TV and a mini-bar.'

If Barney Roy can win on Saturday, Hannon might be tempted to add a jacuzzi to stable features!

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