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. He is a

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a nar ...

stallion A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...

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 ea ...

Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races a ...

. 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.

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 ear ...

. 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, and is a plantation house, museum and rum distillery. Colonel Benjamin Berringer built the house in 1658. This house is one of only three genuine Jacobean mansions in the Western Hemisphe ...

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 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 i ...

. He won the race comfortably by three

lengths Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the In ...

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 sche ...

. 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), an ...

, 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 asle ...

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 Newbu ...

by 1¼ lengths from Worthad, in a field that also included Dick Turpin and Twice Over. 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 p ...

in a much anticipated clash with Goldikova. 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), an ...

, 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 Priz ...

. Dubbed the '

Duel on the Downs The Duel on the Downs was the name given to the 2011 running of the Sussex Stakes horse race. It took place at Goodwood Racecourse on 27 July 2011. The race featured a clash between the undefeated three-year-old Frankel and the leading older mil ...

' 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 oper ...

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