Shark Hanlon – Profile

Meteoric is one word that you could use to describe the short upward journey through the training ranks for trainer Shark Hanlon. He only joined the licensed ranks in 2007 but has already experienced big winners especially with Kerry National winner Alpha Beat who scored at the Listowel Festival and is now firmly on course for the John Smith's Grand National at Aintree next April.

Hanlon has already stated that it's his aim to target the big Festivals and his ultimate aim is to be capable of having winners at places like Cheltenham and Aintree as well as the “home” Festivals in Ireland. He certainly has the ammunition to be able target those sorts of meetings especially with the likes of Hidden Cyclone and Luska Lad soon to start out on their chasing careers and recent Cheltenham bumper winner augmenting those two then hopes are high that their Festival breakthrough comes soon. Those following the racing betting should remember this.

With 50 horses in training, last year's total of 24 winners looks a banker to be bettered and despite a very solid and loyal band of owners providing some quality horses, it won't be surprising to see Ireland's two biggest owners – JP McManus and Michael O'Leary – cottoning on to the potential of the stable very shortly.

The undoubted class horse in the stable is Hidden Cyclone, he's won six out of seven for the stable and the plan is to go chasing around Christmas, but he won't have a busy season and the plan is to aim him ultimately at the Gold Cup in 2013. One of the horses in the Hanlon yard that looks a sure-fire winner for the future is Grey Hession, he's only had one outing so far at Galway where he finished third in a bumper, but that form is working out well and he looks like he could well be worth taking at look at in the Leopardstown bumper ay Christmas and ultimately he may be a Cheltenham Festival bumper contender. People who bet on racing should bear this in mind.

One horse who is with the stable after doing the rounds is Cranky Corner and he looks as though he'll start off over hurdles before returning to fences in mid-November. Of all the up and coming yards in Ireland this is the one that we would pay the closest attention to.