Sean Levey gives Rosallion a pat after his Royal Ascot win

Richard Hannon updates on Lockinge hopes Haatem and Rosallion

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Sun April 20, 2025 · 8M ago

Richard Hannon believes that both Haatem and Rosallion are back to their best as they approach their respective returns to action.

Haatem, an easy winner of the Craven Stakes last year, and Rosallion finished second and third behind Notable Speech in the 2000 Guineas before filling the first two places in the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh.

Haatem then dropped in class and trip when successful in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot where Rosallion narrowly won the St James's Palace Stakes from Henry Longfellow.

Neither raced again in 2024 with Rosallion missing the Sussex Stakes due to a respiratory infection while Haatem was taken out of the Jacques le Marois at the start after knocking himself in the exit chute onto the track.

Both horses have remained in training with Richard Hannon and the trainer believes the pair are back in top form after their long absences.

When asked on Racing TV's Luck On Sunday whether Rosallion was back to his best, Hannon said: "I think we are [back to the same place with him].

"I'm going to take him away again this week, took him to Newbury 10 days ago and I'm very happy with him and all roads lead to the Lockinge. It's going to be a good race this year with Notable Speech, Dancing Gemini and others.

"Haatem might even go there as well. Two pretty special horses.

"He's like the ultimate warrior. I didn't see his win in the Craven coming, he had something like nine or 10 runs as a two-year-old but we got more e-mails to the office about that horse all year than pretty much all the other horses put together. There was a lot of love for him because he was so tough and brave.

"Hopefully he's right back to his best and he's going to Sandown at the end of this week for the Group 2 on Friday."

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