HANNON EXPRESSES HIGH HOPES FOR DONT TELL MUM
RICHARD HANNON believes Don't Tell Mum can give
him his fourth victory in the Queen Mary Stakes for juvenile
fillies at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.
Fly Baby (1981), Lyric Fantasy (1992) and Risky (1993) have all
lifted the five-furlong contest for the Marlborough
trainer.
Hannon believes Don't Tell Mum has as much speed to burn as Lyric
Fantasy, who went on to beat older horses in the Nunthorpe Stakes
later that summer.
He said: "Don't Tell Mum is very fast, but I hope they put plenty
of water on the track overnight as Richard Hughes is not sure how
she will handle the ground if it comes up very quick.
"Some of her recent work has been sensational, and not since the
'pocket rocket' (Lyric Fantasy) have I seen a horse come up the
Everleigh all-weather gallop at such speed as she did last
week.
"She is always a bit pottery in the mornings, but that is just the
way she is, and judged on what I have seen at home, she is every
bit as good as my other Queen Mary winners.
"It was fast ground when Don't Tell Mum won at Bath, so let's hope
we can make it four."
Don't Tell Mum, who cost only 20,000 guineas, beat Roodeye a head
on her only start to date last month.
She is one of nine unbeaten fillies among a 17-strong field for a
race that has been promoted from Group 3 to Group 3. They are
headed by Brian Meehan's Siena Gold, impressive winner of both her
races.
Date:
15 June 2004