Hannon pays tribute to longtime owner Peter Waney after death at 80

Richard Hannon has lost one of the most durable owners behind his yard, with Peter Waney dying at the age of 80 after more than two decades in the sport. Waney’s long run of support mattered because it gave the Hannon operation a stable, recurring presence in major races, not just a one-off flash of success.

Waney was a rare racing patron with a story as varied as his ownership record. Racing Post described him as a Karachi-born rag trader who became a financier and later a restaurateur, and said he had owned racehorses since the start of the millennium. That background makes him stand out in the Flat game, where sustained investment from owners like Waney is often what keeps a trainer’s strongest horses in training year after year.

His best-known link to the Hannon name came through Redback, who landed Group-race success for Richard Hannon senior in 2001 and 2002. Redback raced from 2001 to 2002 and carried the Waney Racing Group Inc. colours during that spell, giving the stable a capable runner at a time when continuity between owner and trainer was already paying off.

Waney’s involvement did not stop with the Hannon yard. He also reached into higher-profile partnerships, including Go Bears Go, who went close to Group 1 level when finishing third in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on 8 August 2021. That race was run over 6 furlongs on yielding ground, carried a prize fund of €250,000 and drew eight runners. Ebro River won, Dr Zempf was second, and Go Bears Go was beaten a head for second place in a tight finish.

Go Bears Go was trained by David Loughnane and ran in partnership with Amo Racing and Peter Waney, underlining the way Waney kept himself involved in the sport at the top end, across different yards and ownership structures. Richard Hannon said Waney’s support over many years meant a great deal, and that is the real measure of his place in the game: not just a name attached to winners, but a patron whose backing helped shape campaigns across seasons, generations and racing fashions.