Hann started the year with a solitary city winner alongside his name – he now has six.

Much of the cause for his optimism centres on the galloper which delivered two of his five 2018 city wins, Like to Think So.

The son of dual W.S. Cox Plate winner So You Think earned back-to-back victories at Morphettville in October and November, which included a win in the $100,000 final of the Happy Trail Series Final (1400m).

That win was the gelding’s fifth in 14 career starts, which have also yielded four minor placings for earnings of $142,355.

Like to Think So has since been spelled after pulling up sore following an unplaced run at Moonee Valley earlier this month, but Hann is already busy looking ahead to an autumn campaign with his stable star.

The gelding has quickly emerged as an early favourite for the Bendigo Trainers’ Association horse of the year award, an accolade Hann has won the last two seasons with his veteran galloper Glenrowan Prince.

“I think he has plenty of better wins in store next preparation,” Hann said.

“He’d be a big chance at this stage for that horse of the year award.

“He’s the best horse in the stable at the minute and I think he has got a lot of improvement in him.

“He’s going to be exciting once we get him back after a good spell as he has been up for a long time. It could be his best prep yet.”

READ MORE – Glenrowan Prince claims back-to-back horse of the year awards

While he hopes the career of Like to Think So is still only getting going, Hann hinted the career of another of his favourite horses was potentially coming to an end.

Following a career punctuated by 10 wins from 39 starts, including Hann’s first city success as a trainer, injuries and form might have caught up with popular sprinter Glenrowan Prince.

The seven-year-old gelding has been unplaced in his last five starts, dating back to April, and finished 11th of 13 runners in an open handicap in his last start at Pakenham earlier this month.

“We’ll give him another couple of chances to see if he can start to improve, if not he’ll be retired,” Hann said.

“He’s been a great horse for us; he’s won back-to-back horse of the year awards and done a great job to win 10 races for us.

“He’s done a pretty big job.”

The gelding has had to overcome several setbacks and operations on his legs throughout his career, but showed plenty of grit to win back-to-back races in March this year in the $70,000 Vobis Gold Eldorado at Wangaratta and $80,000 Echuca Cup.

READ MORE – Prince gives Bendigo trainer first city success

READ MORE – Glenrowan Prince wins Bendigo Cup

Hann will have the former Darren Weir-trained sprinter Last Request engaged at Benalla on Saturday, with the gelding lining up for his third start for his new trainer.

“He’s a horse who has come back from a couple of wind operations, but his first two runs have been very encouraging,” he said.

“It was a very solid run first up (at Seymour) – he was only beaten a length - and he hit the line well last start, so I think he’s not far away from winning a race in the right company.

“Without seeing the fields yet, that could be on Saturday.”

Last Request does have Benalla form, with the gelding’s sole win coming there on debut in January last year.