Trainer Profile

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From Bagenalstown, County Carlow, John "Shark" Hanlon was involved in the cattle-trading business and his career in horse racing began with the Mullins brothers, Willie, Tony and George. He took out his own license to train in 2006, had his first runner in January of the following year and four months later enjoyed his first winner when the Patrick Mullins (claiming 7lbs)-ridden Shaimaa won a bumper at the Easter Festival at Cork. 

Darenjan, Luska Lad and the 2009 Punchestown festival winner Truckers Delight were notable early winners. Luska Lad gave Shark his first Graded success when landing the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown in January 2010 and followed up in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle, again at Grade 2 level, at Gowran Park the following month with Western Leader winning the Grade 2 Michael Purcell Memorial Novice at Thurles just 12 days later. Hidden Cyclone emerged as another stable star later that same year while Truckers Delight won at both the Punchestown and Galway festivals in 2011. Another major success in 2011 came Shark's way when Alfa Beat won the Kerry National at Listowel in September. 

It is not lost on Rachael Blackmore how instrumental Shark was on her early career. She rode her first winner on his Stowaway Pearl at Thurles in February 2011. 

Skyace, famously bought for £600, gave Shark his first Grade 1 winner when she captured the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday 2021.