Canford Cliffs (foaled 8 February 2007) is an Irish-bred, British-trained

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse who was trained by

Richard Hannon Sr. Richard Michael Hannon (born 1945), known as Richard Hannon Sr. to distinguish him from his son, is a former British horse trainer. He was British flat racing Champion Trainer four times, achieved more than a century of victories in a season 20 ti ...

He is a bay stallion by Tagula out of Mrs Marsh and was ridden by Richard Hughes in all his races.

Racing career

2009: Two-year-old season

Canford Cliffs started his racing career in a maiden at Newbury and won easily by seven lengths. This performance made him the 11/8 favourite for the

Coventry Stakes The Coventry Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place e ...

at Royal Ascot. He was near the front from the start and quickened clear with two furlongs to go. He won easily by six lengths from Xtension. Canford Cliffs then went to France for the

Prix Morny The Prix Morny is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,200 metres (about 6 furlongs), and it is scheduled ...

. Starting odds on, he could only finish third behind Arcano and

Special Duty Special Duty (foaled 12 February 2007) is a British-bred, French-trained champion Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She won two of her four starts as a two-year-old including the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes and the Group Two Prix Robert ...

2010: Three-year-old season

He started his three-year-old season in the

Greenham Stakes The Greenham Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 7 furlongs () at Newbury in ...

and was beaten by his stablemate

Dick Turpin Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ea ...

. He started at 12/1 in the

2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year ...

, with champion two-year-old

St Nicholas Abbey St Nicholas Abbey is located in Saint Peter, Barbados, Saint Peter, Barbados, and is a Plantation complexes in the Southeastern United States#Plantation house, plantation house, museum and rum distillery. Colonel Benjamin Berringer built the hou ...

the even money favourite. After worries that he would not stay the mile, he was held up by jockey Richard Hughes. After pulling hard in the early stages he moved through the field to finish third, with 33/1 outsider

Makfi Makfi (foaled 4 March 2007) is a British-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In 2010 he won the 2000 Guineas and Prix Jacques Le Marois. Background Makfi's sire is Irish 2,000 Guineas and Prix Jacques Le Marois winner Dubaw ...

winning. Canford Cliffs then went to Ireland for the

Irish 2,000 Guineas The Irish 2,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is ...

. He won the race comfortably by three lengths from Free Judgement. He then went to Royal Ascot for the

St James's Palace Stakes The St James's Palace Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlongs and 213 yards (1,603 metres). It is sched ...

. He started the 11/4 joint favourite, with the two horses that had finished ahead of him in the season, Makfi and Dick Turpin, also starting. He was held up near the rear in the race and came through to win by one length from Dick Turpin. In his final start of the season Canford Cliffs took on older horses for the first time in the

Sussex Stakes The Sussex Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and ...

, where he beat

Rip Van Winkle "Rip Van Winkle" is a short story by the American author Washington Irving, first published in 1819. It follows a Dutch-American villager in colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who meets mysterious Dutchmen, imbibes their liquor and falls aslee ...

by a neck.

2011: Four-year-old season

Canford Cliffs reappeared in May 2011 as a four-year-old and comfortably won the

Lockinge Stakes The Lockinge Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) at Newbur ...

by 1¼ lengths from Worthad, in a field that also included Dick Turpin and

Twice Over Twice Over (foaled 16 May 2005) is British Thoroughbred racehorse. He was a top-class middle-distance performer whose wins included the Eclipse Stakes, the International Stakes and two runnings of the Champion Stakes. Background Twice Over is ...

. He then went to Royal Ascot for the third time, this year for the

Queen Anne Stakes The Queen Anne Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and is scheduled to take pl ...

in a much anticipated clash with

Goldikova Goldikova (15 March 2005 – 5 January 2021) was a champion French Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Mile three times and was the 2010 European Horse of the Year. She was based in France, although she also raced in the United St ...

. He overtook Goldikova in the last 100 yards and ran on to beat her by one length, the field also included Cityscape and Cape Blanco. After Ascot came an even more anticipated race, the

Sussex Stakes The Sussex Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and ...

, where Canford Cliffs was matched against the impressive

winner and unbeaten

Frankel Frankel is the surname of: * Benjamin Frankel (1906–1973), British composer * Bethenny Frankel (born 1970), American chef and reality television personality * Charles Frankel (1917–1975), American philosopher, known for Charles Frankel Prize ...

. Dubbed the ' Duel on the Downs' some bookmakers were offering a special matched bet, with both horses at even money, in the weeks leading up to the race. Only four horses started the race with Frankel going off the 8/13 favourite and Canford Cliffs at 7/4. Frankel led from the start, closely followed by Canford Cliffs, then Rio De La Plata and Rajsaman. With about a furlong and a half to go Frankel quickened clear and beat Canford Cliffs, who hung badly left, by five lengths. In the days following the race the Hannons suggested that Canford Cliffs was not at his best.

Assessment

In 2010 Canford Cliffs was officially rated as the joint sixth best horse in the world, with a rating of 127. In 2011 he was ranked the joint fifth best, again with a rating of 127. In 2011 he was ranked the second best miler, with

being the top rated.

Stud career

On 4 August 2011 it was announced that Canford Cliffs would be retired to stud due to a leg injury. He stands at

Coolmore Stud Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is headquarters of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champions. The operat ...

and his 2012 stud fee is 17,500 Euros.

References

{{reflist

External links

Career 1-2-3 Colour Chart
– ''Canford Cliffs'' 2007 racehorse births Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Racehorses bred in Ireland Irish Classic Race winners Thoroughbred family 9-f