Hannon set for major global raids – and he'll swim to Australia if necessary

Richard Hannon is hoping to build on Saturday's Queen Elizabeth II Stakes triumph when he launches an audacious raid on three of the world's most valuable horseraces over the space of four days.

The former champion trainer, who enjoyed a notable Champions Day victory with King Of Change, is set to run Billesdon Brook in the £2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita on Saturday week, just a few hours after Beat Le Bon has contested the inaugural running of the £3.9m Golden Eagle at Rosehill in Sydney.

Raymond Tusk is then set to line up in the £4.2m Lexus Melbourne Cup the following Tuesday.

"These international races are massive and we have been working back from them with the horses we're sending," said Hannon. "When you win them the last thing you think about is the prize-money. I'm not saying I'm going to give it away but the main thing is the sense of achievement – and money can't buy that."

Last year's 1,000 Guineas winner Billesdon Brook will be chasing her third top-flight success having landed the Sun Chariot Stakes earlier this month.

Billesdon Brook ridden by Sean Levey wins the Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse.Credit: Tess Derry/PA

Hannon said: "Jeanette McCreery loves having a go at these big races and there is nothing to lose but everything to gain by running her. When she is in form she is an extremely good filly – she was always going to win the Sun Chariot last time when Sean Levey was brilliant on her yet again. When you think of her you think of him. They're an item.

"I think because they are going around two bends they can only go so fast, which will give her more of a chance of getting the mile and a quarter, although I thought she stayed the trip as a three-year-old anyway.

"Jeanette is trying to make my dad go to California. If we're being honest, there's probably more chance of seeing Elvis on the Tube than seeing Dad in America. If he does go, then I might go to Sydney, otherwise I'll probably be at the Breeders' Cup and then fly on to Melbourne. I'll swim there if I have to!"

Beat Le Bon wins at Glorious Goodwood under Pat DobbsCredit: Mark Cranham

The Australian challenge kicks off with Glorious Goodwood handicap winner Beat Le Bon, who will be joined by Ballydoyle's Never No More and the Michael O'Callaghan-trained I Am Superman in the Golden Eagle.

Hannon explained: "James Ross from the Australian Turf Club left us some paperwork about the race and after I read it I decided we could go for the Challenge Stakes and try to win £68,000 or we could go to Sydney and try to win millions, plus there's a fortune for finishing second, third or fourth.

"He got there last Thursday and looks really well. He will take to it out there and as he's quite keen he'll love the fact they'll probably go quick from the off."

Pat Dobbs will be on Beat Le Bon, while Jamie Spencer is set to partner Middleham Park Racing's Sky Bet Ebor fourth Raymond Tusk when the horse becomes the Hannon family's first Melbourne Cup runner.

Raymond Tusk is poised to become the Hannon family's first runner in the Melbourne CupCredit: Grossick Photography

"It now looks as though we'll get in, which is great because we've always been very keen to run and Jamie Spencer has wanted to ride him," Hannon said. "Off the back of his Ebor run I think he would have an excellent chance. He looks great and definitely has the right profile.

"We were going to run in the Caulfield Cup but the ground looked quick and I was worried about him backing up. We can always run again after the Melbourne Cup – but the Melbourne Cup has to be the priority. I've never had a runner in the race, and nor did Dad, so it's exciting."

There remains a small chance King Of Change could be on his travels before the end of the year, with Hannon adding: "There's a Group 1 in Japan in November, the Mile Championship, which is an option, but the likeliest scenario is we won't run again this season. We've always loved him and thought of him as next year's horse."

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