Bob Hannon: Razeta raises family prospects

Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

When Razeta stormed to victory in the Listed South Pacific Classic, scoring her second stakes success it was a continuation of a family that has delivered the goods for Bob Hannon since the purchase of her great-granddam, Great Temptation (Luskin Star).

Hannon developed Ascot Park in 2003, the property situated on 75 acres of fertile river flats in Pitt Town, located amongst the idyllic Hawkesbury Valley. Since its establishment, the property has gradually transformed into a fruitful thoroughbred breeding operation and broodmare farm for Hannon.

However, Hannon has spent a lifetime amongst horses, beginning as a young ‘fella’. Hannon was a pony club kid and a grandfather who was a drover, who Hannon would go droving with. Hannon would also dabble with polo ponies for a time before moving onto thoroughbreds.

As Hannon told TDN AusNZ: “I had a good education with horses in my early days and it has gone on from there and I am still doing it.

“I spent a lot of time breeding ponies for polo and that takes a bit of time. However, I have probably been breeding thoroughbreds for gee, at least 40 years.”

Starting out with roughly three broodmares, the number hasn’t grown all that drastically, Hannon keeping a manageable profile of mares that he ‘just likes’ at his Ascot Park property.

From that group of broodmares, Hannon has a graduate less the envy of major farms.

Amongst them the brilliant Shamus Award, the son of Snitzel, incredibly broke his maiden in the G1 W.S Cox Plate and would later add the G1 Australian Guineas before carving out a successful and ongoing stud career.

“To breed a Cox Plate winner, I mean that’s just brilliant. He’s doing the job as a sire too, which is wonderful.”

Also, the fabulous Amelia’s Dream (Redoute’s Choice), the daughter of Redoute’s Choice burst into the G1 Golden Slipper calculations in 2008, with a dominant display in the G2 Silver Slipper S. It wasn’t to be with the star filly sustaining an injury and her stablemate the Champion 2-year-old Sebring prevailing in the famous contest.

“Amelia’s Dream sustaining that injury broke my heart. Since then, I have been close in the Slipper, I thought I had a great chance with Cosmic Force, we had Vincere Volare in that year too.”

Hannon is referring the now Newgate based-sire Cosmic Force, a favoured runner in the G1 Golden Slipper of 2019, after an authoritative victory in the G3 Pago Pago S. The son of Deep Field would round his career with winning the G2 Roman Consul S., a sire-making race with Exceed And Excel, Fastnet Rock, Zoustar, Brazen Beau and Newgate barn-mate Russian Revolution marking their names on the honour roll.

While Vincere Volare (I Am Invincible) then trained by Tony Gollan would end her career as a three-time winner. Vincere Volare is a granddaughter of Shalt Not (St Covet), Shalt Not was the dam of Amelia’s Jewel.

“Both were a bit inconvenienced in the Slipper by the track. However, I have been supporting Cosmic Force at Newgate Farm, as I retained a share in him. While Vincere Volare has a yearling colt by Pierata, and weanling filly by Capitalist. She’s currently in foal to Harry Angel and after Saturday’s result with Tom Kitten, I am very pleased about that.”

Beginning of the Zeta family

Cosmic Force is an important puzzle piece to the Razeta story, and they underline Hannon’s dedication to breeding and sticking to a family he likes, in hope one day he'll reap the rewards.

The Razeta or Little Zeta (Commands) story for Hannon started in the late 80s with the purchase of the Luskin Star mare Great Temptation. The mare would be the catalyst for the family.

“I paid a bit of money for her (Great Temptation). I think about $120,000 which, for those days, was a lot of money for a yearling. I raced her before I retired her to stud.”

Great Temptation would race nine times, winning three races including two metropolitan handicaps in the 90s.

However, it would be as a broodmare where her name would be remembered. Great Temptation would become the dam of eight named foals, seven of which raced with all seven saluting the judge.

The best of those would be her 2006 produce More Than Great (More Than Ready {USA}), who Hannon raced, he was a three-time winner who was able to down the great, So You Think (NZ) in the Listed Gloaming S. running track record time and placing in a further three Group 2 and Group 3 races.

Hannon would retain a number of daughters from the mare, including Beebop (Success Express {USA}) and most importantly Catherine Zeta (Quest For Fame {GB}), although Catherine Zeta, like her dam Great Temptation, in the scheme of things would retire from the track doing very little, with only a maiden victory at Scone. She would play an important part off the track in the broodmare pastures.

The most important of Catherine Zeta’s progeny would be Little Zeta and like her relatives she underperformed on the track, albeit from only five starts, she won once at Newcastle.

“She (Little Zeta) didn’t have many starts and she was a small mare. She hasn’t grown all that much either, however, she’s a great producer and there’s no doubt that,” Hannon tells TDN AusNZ.

It would be impossible to argue with the statement Little Zeta is a great producer, she is the dam of nine named foals, eight of which have raced and seven of which have won. Among them three individual stakes winners of five stakes races.

Including the aforementioned Newgate Farm stallion Cosmic Force and the late albeit talented Onemorezeta (Onemorenomore).

“It is a marvellous family for me and one I continue to develop.

“I have a few of Little Zeta’s progeny racing and on the farm, including the Charleah, who is having some success from some ordinary stallions, we sold the Sooboog colt, now gelding (Atomic Energy) to Hong Kong and it has done well over there. Charleah is on a cover to Hellbent, so that looks good.”

And the best yet may have just blitzed them on Saturday in the Listed South Pacific S. – Razeta.

Razeta rising

The Kris Lees-trained 3-year-old filly has always shown talent, when conditions are right, she possess an electrifying turn-of-foot, that has carried her to victory in the Listed Desirable H. at Flemington and it was on show again down the long Royal Randwick straight on Day 2 of The Championships.

“Razeta was a foal that I very much liked. She was a good sort, and I was never going to sell her. She was one I thought I might win the (G1) Golden Slipper with,” Hannon says with a laugh.

“When I say that, I just mean it was a dream and hope that she would be an early 2-year-old like Cosmic Force, but that wasn’t to be.”

Razeta is trained by Hannon’s good friend, Newcastle-based trainer Kris Lees, who Hannon notes there is long association there having raced horses with Lee’s father Max Lees, trainer of the great Luskin Star.

“Kris likes to be patient with them, he gives them time. Razeta wasn’t ready as an early 2-year-old, she was a later one.”

Referencing to Razeta’s maiden win at Wyong in June of her 2-year-old season.

“We gave her time. And I can’t complain we are definitely having some fun with her.”

Razeta likes to rise to the big occasions, a fact not lost to Hannon. “She won a stakes race on Kennedy Oaks Day, then she won that race on Saturday on the final day of The Championships.

“That’s very special to me, to have a filly winning on the big days and a great day’s racing.”

While no plan has been locked in as to where the daughter of Deep Field may head too next.

“I haven’t spoken to Kris since Saturday, but everything is fine, she has pulled up well, if she didn’t, I’d hear about it. Razeta may run in the G3 James HB Carr Stakes in seven days, however, I would think Kris will give it more time. We will talk it over in the next few days.

“We may even have a look at something at the Hawkesbury meeting like the Guineas.”

Hannon and Lees are already excited what may lay in store for Razeta as a 4-year-old, after a spell.

“She still has some furnishing out to do, and she will come to my property for a spell. We are very excited and believe she may even make a better 4-year-old.”

Moving forward

As for a life after racing?

“Very excited about the future and I am slowly bringing back all my mares to Ascot Park after the devastation of floods, majority of my horses went to Yarraman Park to be safe.”

Hannon is referring to the devastation the Hawkesbury River caused when it burst its banks in 2022, making it the fifth flood in the area in two years, causing millions of dollars of damage and devastation to morale from those who live and work off the land surrounding the fertile plains.

Gallery: Ascot Park under water during the floods, images courtesy of Ascot Park

A sad reality that many are still living with the effects of the natural disaster, despite it not appearing in headlines anymore.

“It is nearly all fixed up, took a long time and was very sad, but we are nearly to the end of it. It was the biggest flood I have seen, and I have records going back to the 1800s, it’s terrible but it happens, that’s the weather trends and it will happen again in the future too.”

On a positive light and thrilled over the prospects of Razeta, Hannon will keep moving forward.

It appears assured Razeta will find herself grazing amongst the lush paddocks of Ascot Park with her siblings.

Hopefully before that day comes, she will have added to an already glittering record.

“I am very happy with what we have achieved and continue to achieve. Some stallion selection, surrounding yourself with good people and being able to handle the ups and downs of the business and most of all, a lot of luck,” Hannon says.