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Richard Hannon - Threat a major player in Middle Park Stakes

Trainer Richard Hannon
Image: Trainer Richard Hannon

Richard Hannon believes Threat has been "massively overlooked" ahead of the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

The Herridge handler is set to launch a twin assault on the six-furlong Group One, with the unbeaten Mums Tipple the marginal second-favourite behind Andre Fabre's Earthlight following a hugely-impressive 11-length demolition job in a sales race at York.

However, Hannon has never made any secret of the regard in which he holds Threat - winner of the Gimcrack at York and the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster on his two most recent starts - and yet he is available at double-figure odds for this weekend's fascinating contest.

"It's probably the best Middle Park we've seen for years, and so it should be," the trainer told Sky Sports Racing.

"Siskin is a very good horse and Earthlight is a very good horse. Hopefully we don't get too much of a change of ground and both of our horses, Threat and Mums Tipple, are in great form.

"Threat has done it right at that level with penalties. He's a very good horse and has been massively overlooked, in my opinion.

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"I think Threat is more than solid. He's won a Gimcrack and a Champagne and was only just beaten in a Coventry and a Richmond.

"He's danced every dance and has been bang there - and it looks to me like he's getting better."

Of Mums Tipple, Hannon added: "He is extremely exciting, but York is a track that can favour those horses that can jump and get everything right - they never get them back.

"The form of his first run worked out and he is a very exciting horse. We'll see if he's a very exciting, good horse on Saturday."