Hannon bids to solve Galeota puzzle

Top sprinter Galeota is to visit Bristol University’s veterinary department as Richard Hannon attempts to discover why the three-year-old has completely lost his form.

Touched off by French sprinter Chineur in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot at York, Galeota has looked a shadow of himself in both the July Cup and the Haydock Sprint Cup.

Hannon said: “There’s something wrong with him and I can’t get to the bottom of it.

“It’s perplexing but I just can’t get him to run the same race as he did at Ascot.

“There’s nothing in his demeanour that leads you to suspect there’s anything wrong and I want to bring him back next year, so we’ve decided that he’ll go to Bristol on Monday or Tuesday to see whether they can unravel the problem.”