Having ridden at least 21 winners in his native Ireland during the Second World War, Edmond Patrick Hannigan moved to England soon after hostilities had ended and made a promising start with 12 victories in his first season. He added another 27 over the next five years and rode in two Grand Nationals.
His first success was probably at Mallow on Easter Monday, April 6, 1942, when Egmont II won the Tralee Handicap Chase by 20 lengths for trainer Walter Dwyer.
He began his campaign in England at Cheltenham on November 9, 1945, when Ashwood was ninth of 11 in the Rosehill Three-Year-Old Hurdle. He opened his account at Nottingham on February 9, 1946, when the seven-year-old Little Pip took the lead at the last flight in the Carlow Handicap Hurdle (Division 1) and comfortably beat Sporting Link by six lengths. The winning pair followed up at Southwell six days later.
Then Edmond had two wins in three days at the end of March on the novice chaser The Flyer, trained by Ronald Bennett. They attempted a hat-trick in the Stanley Chase at Liverpool on April 6 and finished a creditable second, beaten four lengths by Aubrey Brabazon on Luan Casca. Edmond then rode another eight winners in as many weeks before the season ended.
He was never to do as well again, although he did have a double at Wolverhampton on Boxing Day 1946. Later that season he had his first attempt at the Grand National when Jubilee Flight was one of 57 starters. The 12-year-old did not complete the course, while 100/1 outsider Caughoo romped to an unlikely triumph. Quite where Jubilee Flight exited the race is a matter of conjecture. The Sporting Chronicle’s Racing-up-to-Date form book lists him simply as ‘did mot finish’, whereas another source states that he fell, while Reg Green in his book ‘A Race Apart’ has him as last of 21 finishers. The Racing-up-to-Date form book identifies only 19 finishers.
Twelve months later, Edmond rode 66/1 chance Clonaboy in the 1948 Grand National but the ten-year-old was among the fallers. He had one more try over the Liverpool fences, but his mount, Barn Dance, was a faller in the Grand Sefton Chase on November 11, 1949. They had fared better earlier in the year when finishing third in the Lancashire Chase, one of the season’s most valuable races, at Manchester on Easter Monday, having disputed the lead to the second last fence.
Edmond’s final victory came on Betty’s Son in the Broughton Handicap Chase at Bangor on April 21, 1951, when he brought the nine-year-old home four lengths clear of Tim Brookshaw on Sideley. Tim went on to land a double that afternoon, but alas, there were no more wins for Edmond, either in England or Ireland.
Edmond Hannigan’s British winners were -
1. Little Pip, Nottingham, February 9, 1946
2. Little, Pip, Southwell, February 15, 1946
3. The Flyer, Taunton, March 27, 1946
4. The Flyer, Hereford, March 30, 1946
5. Brightworth, Cheltenham, April 16, 1946
6. Banquet, Southwell, April 20, 1946
7. Careless Talk, Hereford, April 22, 1946
8. African Jewel, Hereford, May 18, 1946
9. Wychwood Sunrise, Southwell, May 21, 1946
10. The Flyer, Bewton Abbot, June 1, 1946
11. Wychwood Sunrise, Towcester, June 8, 1946
12. The Flyer, Towcester, June 10, 1946
13. The Flyer, Wolverhampton, December 26, 1946
14. Valastro, Wolverhampton, December 26, 1946
15. Ptolemee II, Leicester, January 4, 1947
16. New Pipers, Southwell, April 5, 1947
17. Ashwood, Ludlow, April 17, 1947
18. Tor Brian, Southwell, May 12, 1947
19. Chaud-froid, Southwell, May 13, 1947
20. Fair Drift, Folkestone, October 2, 1947
21. Winning Plan, Taunton, October 11, 1947
22. Banquet, Woore, October 16, 1947
23. Stretton Lad, Hereford, October 25, 1947
24. National Hope, Fontwell Park, November 6, 1947
25. Banquet, Birmingham, January 19, 1948
26. Belted Monarch, Towcester, March 27, 1948
27. Searchlight, Stratford-on-Avon, April 3, 1948
28. Arod, Hereford, April 17, 1948
29. Historical Revue, Worcester, September 24, 1948
30. Sir Chaucer, Ludlow, September 29, 1948
31. Historical Revue, Worcester, September 30, 1948
32. Robert Bruce, Woore, October 14, 1948
33. Sir Chaucer, Wincanton, November 25, 1948
34. East a’ Calling, Stratford-on-Avon, February 19, 1949
35. Ataturk, Wincanton, December 27, 1949
36. Applaud, Haydock Park, March 3, 1950
37. Belted Monarch, Stratford-on-Avon, March 18, 1950
38. Mick’s Delight, Bangor-on-Dee, October 4, 1950