RICHARD Hannon was toasting a big-race double on a super Sunday.
Ventura Tormenta turned over hotpot The Lir Jet in the Prix Robert Papin before Happy Romance bagged a big payday in the Super Sprint.
The improving Ventura Tormenta, who is owned by Middleham Park, battled on gamely to win by a nose in the Chantilly Group 2 under a top Christophe Soumillon ride.
The son of Acclamation could have his sights raised for the Group 1 Prix Morny next month, though the Gimcrack at York is also an option.
Hannon said: “We’ve always liked him which was why we took him to Ascot first time, but I have to admit I slightly regretted that afterwards, dropping him in so deep.
“He’s just a lovely colt. Something like the Morny or the Gimcrack might be next. I wouldn’t be keen on supplementing him for the Phoenix, I’ve no idea why the Irish races closed so early this season.
“The Morny is a lovely race on a lovely flat track and we want to keep progressing if we can – he’s won his Group 2 having bypassed a Listed and Group 3. He’s a real gentleman.
“I’m delighted for Middleham Park. It was Tim Palin’s (Middleham director of racing) idea to run in it, as I was looking at the Listed race at Newbury (won by Method) and he got it dead right. I still thought we were beaten in the photo.”
Palin said: “We’re already popping the champagne!”
And a memorable afternoon for the Hannon team was capped with Happy Romance’s decisive success in the £150,000 Super Sprint.
The daughter of Dandy Man, who was fifth in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, tanked through the race under Sean Levey and sprinted clear to win easily.
Hannon said: “She has improved all year and won that very well. If you have a look at her coming out of the gates she got knocked around a fair bit. She is a tough thing. Sean is adamant she wants seven furlongs.
“It is the owners’ first horse. I met them at Newbury for the first time just standing around.
“We need to keep new people coming into this sport and this is what this race is about. For them it is a lot of prize-money, it’s a big day and it’s on television.”
He added: “She ran very well at Royal Ascot and I thought it was a good Queen Mary. We might go to the Lowther (at York), but she is in a sales race in Ireland. She is definitely Group class.”
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