Richard Hannon ‘disappointed’ by Rosallion defeat at York

Richard Hannon offered no immediate excuse after his stable star Rosallion could finish only fourth in the City of York Stakes.

The four-year-old was rerouted to the York Group One after a bruised foot scuppered his planned run in last Sunday’s Prix Jacques le Marois over a mile at Deauville.

Last season’s Irish Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes winner was dropping back to seven furlongs on the Knavesmire, having finished a creditable third in the Lockinge on his seasonal bow before being narrowly beaten in both the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

Sean Levey never looked confident at any stage aboard the evens favourite though, keeping on to take fourth, beaten half a length and two heads behind Never So Brave, with his Sussex conqueror Qirat behind him in fifth.

Hannon said: “Sean said he was never really travelling like he normally does, but he’s not disgraced himself.

“I don’t think the draw (11) helped but he just didn’t travel into the race like we expected.

“I’m disappointed, obviously, I thought he’d win, but he’s a long way from disgracing himself.”

When asked whether the minor setback which ruled him out of a planned trip to France last weekend had played any part, the trainer added: “It’s got nothing to do with his foot, he was perfectly sound and healthy coming into it.

“In fairness to him, he knuckled down under pressure and tried his best but he didn’t win.

“There’s loads of options for him, all over the world, but I’m disappointed today.

“It’s an occupational hazard unfortunately, you learn to deal with it.”

William Haggas’ Lake Forest flashed home to finish second and the handler said his Golden Eagle winner would “probably” return to Australia again.