Cliffs possible for international run

Canford Cliffs could run again this season as connections of the three-year-old mull a foreign trip with their star colt.

Winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas, St James’s Palace and Sussex Stakes, Canford Cliffs was due to run in last weekend’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.

However, an unsatisfactory scope forced his withdrawal and trainer Richard Hannon indicated that the son of Tagula would not run again this year.

While the trainer would rather focus on Canford Cliffs’ four-year-old career now, the colt’s owners want to look at the remaining foreign options this term.

“The owners seem keen to have another run, though there is nothing left for him in Europe, so I suppose if he does go again they will be looking at the Breeders’ Cup Mile in Kentucky as well as Japan and Hong Kong,” said Hannon.

“If they decide against travelling him this year, we’ll pack him up until next season.”

Hannon has another possible Breeders’ Cup contender in Paco Boy, who is due to run in France this weekend, while stablemate Dick Turpin could also make one final appearance before the year is out.

“Paco Boy is on target to take on Goldikova again on Sunday in the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp and I would imagine that the owners will then sit down and decide whether to have one last roll of the dice at Churchill Downs,” Hannon told www.richardhannonracing.tv.

“Dick Turpin, who like Canford Cliffs is coming back to us as a four-year-old, is not entered in the Challenge Stakes at Newmarket so he has just the one option if (owner) John Manley wants to run again, the Vittorio di Capua in Milan on Sunday week.”