SEA SHANTY and Beacon can get Richard Hannon off to a fantastic start with a double on the opening day of Glorious Goodwod.

Hannon jnr has a hard act to follow at the Sussex venue as his father, Richard, dominated on the Downs before passing the baton on to his son this season.

Richard Hughes has been top jockey at the meeting for the last four years and took this race 12 months ago with Viewpoint, who runs again, but there is no doubting Sea Shanty is the first string.

Owned by The Queen, the four-year-old has improved in leaps and bounds this season, winning at Kempton and Sandown before going close in the Royal Hunt Cup.

Carrying a 5lb penalty at the Royal meeting, he finished fourth behind Field Of Dream, just four days after winning at Sandown so the effort can be upgraded.

Running off the same mark, Sea Shanty will be very hard to beat in a race that does not look as deep as the Ascot cavalry charge.

It is hard to see Hannon and Hughes not winning the bet365 Molecomb Stakes with Beacon.

An expensive failure on his debut at Doncaster, Beacon has won his next three in straightforward style, including a four-length stroll at Listed level most recently at Sandown.

The feature race of the opening day is the bet365 Lennox Stakes, in which Hannon and Hughes have the favourite, Toormore.

While he was champion juvenile in Europe last year, partly on the basis of his win at this meeting in the Vintage Stakes, he has not looked as dominant as a three-year-old, despite claiming the Craven on his reappearance. To that end, It may be worth chancing that last year’s winner, Garswood, can bounce back to his best for Richard Fahey.