Who’s the ‘monster’ exciting Richard Hannon with thoughts of Royal Ascot?

Richard Hannon has described top miler King Of Change as a “monster” as he finalises plans for the four-year-old this season.

The son of Farhh finished last year with an impressive win in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and connections are looking at returning to Ascot for the Queen Anne Stakes later this season.

Hannon has trained excellent older milers Olympic Glory, Toronado and Night Of Thunder to top-level honours in recent years and has every belief that similar success can come the way of King Of Change.

Hannon said: “He’s done extremely well physically, as well as any horse I’ve had has done from three to four. He’s quite lightly raced and he’s improved with every start, I’m very hopeful he could be the best we’ve had.

“He’s every bit up there with those good milers and he looks like a monster – we’re hoping he can be. We can’t wait to get him racing.”

First big test

The Queen Anne Stakes could be his first big test. The Group 1 contest is the first race of the five-day Royal Ascot meeting which Hannon won with Toronado in 2014. His father, Richard Hannon snr, won the race with Paco Boy (2009) and Canford Cliffs (2011).

King Of Change is a 7-1 joint favourite for the race with William Hill alongside Barney Roy, who won the St James’s Palace for Hannon before switching to Charlie Appleby’s yard.

Hannon added: “I think we’ll look at the Queen Anne [for King Of Change] and then at races like the [Prix] Jacques le Marois, the Moulin and the QEII. He’s going to stay at the top level.

“We’ve always thought a lot of him. We fancied him for the QEII and he won with authority. He likes soft ground but he doesn’t have to have it – it was good in the 2,000 Guineas. We looked after him all of last year with this season in mind, we’re very hopeful he can be a champ.”