Richard Hannon 2024: 2YO Insights... (What a Disaster)

You may have been following my updates on Herridge Stables and felt that I am merely stating the obvious—specifically the obvious negatives. However, I believe that highlighting poor performances is essential for providing an honest assessment of a stable's results. The numbers speak for themselves. If this makes for difficult reading, then that’s simply the reality of the situation. I’m sure followers of Herridge Stables, Marlborough, are disappointed by the lack of two-year-old winners in 2024. Let’s take a closer look at the numbers to better understand the situation.

The first two-year-old runner of the 2024 season was Majestic Heights, who finished 4th at odds of 100/30 on April 1st.

The final juvenile race of the turf season ended with Mielikki, who finished 8th at odds of 14/1.

In total, there were 82 two-year-old runners.

Let’s break down the monthly debut winners:

April: 

Hawaiian (11/8f) 

May: 

Xanthe (8/1) 

June: 

An Outlaw's Grace (15/8) 

July: 

No winners 

August: 

No winners 

September: 

Too Much Heaven (6/1) 

Persian Spirit (20/1) 

Stem (5/2) 

October: 

British Blue (15/2) 

November: 

No winners 

Summary: 

This has been far from a vintage turf season, with disappointing results across both turf and all-weather races. There were only 7 debut winners from 82 debut runners. Of those, 3 were priced at 5/2 or less. Aside from September, which saw 3 debut winners, most other months had just one winner, with July, August, and November seeing no debut winners at all. For a trainer of Herridge's caliber and with such a large number of runners, this has been a truly dreadful season.

From observing the betting for debut runners (though I won’t delve into the details here, as I prefer to keep this information private), the statistics are equally grim. Nearly all two-year-old debutants were poor value, with many horses being heavily backed despite questionable odds.

You might be wondering how the juveniles performed on their second start. Let’s take a look at those results.

There were only 6 two-year-old winners on their second start, which included: 

The Actor (11/4) 

Principality (1/2) 

Linwood (11/1) 

Our Terms (7/2) 

King Of Cities (13/8) 

Initial Blue (2/1) 

Summary: A meager 6 winners on their second start. 5 of the 6 winners priced 7/2 and less sp. This is equally disappointing, especially since the second start is typically a prime opportunity for juveniles to win. Out of a possible 164 runs, only 13 resulted in wins. Given that fewer horses typically win on their third start compared to their first two, these figures reflect poorly on the overall performance.

It’s clear that Herridge Stables will want to move past this disappointing year, particularly with a stable of high-profile owners. However, it’s important to consider how such a poor season could have happened. 

Take a look at Richard Hannon's comments about Royal Ascot 2024

I wish the stable all the best for the upcoming 2025 season.

Photo: Taken from JSC Communications (YouTube) Will remove if wished.