Richard Hannon: the latest update on Rosallion and Haatem

Richard Hannon intends to give stable star Rosallion another away day at the end of the week to ensure he is ‘match fit’ for his seasonal return in the Boylesports Lockinge at Newbury. 

Last year’s Irish 2000 Guineas hero has not been sighted since winning the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June after taking longer to recover from a respiratory infection which ruled him out of the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. 

Although Hannon is pleased with Rosallion's training, he believes that giving the Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum-owned colt another day out will put him spot on in his bid for Group One glory in the mile prize on May 17th.

Hannon said: “I took Rosallion away to Kempton Park last week and I will take him away towards the end of this week. He has had a couple of spins away at Newbury and Kempton Park now.

“He is a year older now so he is naturally going to need a little bit more work. He is a horse that just does enough and he needs horses to aim at when he is working. 

"Sean (Levey) has ridden him in all of his work and he is delighted with him and I’m very happy where he is.

"We have got plenty of time before the Lockinge, and he has done loads already, but I want him to go there match fit.”

Classic-winning handler Hannon has not ruled out stablemate, and last year's Jersey Stakes hero, Haatem from joining Rosallion in the Lockinge. 

However, he has hinted that he might find an easier target for the son of Phoenix Of Spain ahead of the Queen Anne Stakes at the Royal meeting following his low key return in the Group Two bet365 Mile at Sandown Park on Friday. 

Hannon added: “I’m not going to lie, I was a little bit disappointed with Haatem at Sandown. 

“They went quite quick down the back, but it was his first run for more than 10 months on soft enough ground. 

“He got very tired late on so he will come on massively for it. I think we will probably find a nice little confidence booster for him and then go to the Queen Anne with him.

“There is still a little chance he might go to the Lockinge, but I would say we will give him a little confidence booster first and go on from there.”