Canford Cliffs

Canford Cliffs is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who was trained by Richard Hannon, retiring to stud in 2011 due to a leg injury. Foaled on February 8 2007, Canford Cliffs was a bay stallion by Tagula out of Mrs Marsh, going on to finish his career ranked by many inside the top-10 racing horses in the history of the sport. Richard Hughes rode the thoroughbred in all his races, picking up six major victories during a successful three-season partnership, earning over £950,000 in prize money during that time. 

Canford Cliffs started his racing career in a winning display at Newbury, collecting the debut win by a comfortable seven lengths. That performance resulted in him being made the 11/8 favourite for the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, and the stallion proved the bookmakers right by winning by six lengths from Xtension. 

The stallion began his three-year-old season at the 2010 Greenham Stakes, beaten by stablemate Dick Turpin in an encouraging debut. He went into the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket with odds of 12/1, going on to finish an impressive third behind winner Makfi. Canford Cliffs followed that strong run with a sensational victory at the Irish 2000 Guineas, making light work of the rest of the field to win the race comfortably by three lengths from Free Judgement.

Canford Cliffs continued his sensational season by then winning at Royal Ascot for the St. James's Palace Stakes, going into the race as the 11/4 joint favourite in a strong field and finishing a length ahead of rival Dick Turpin. The three-year-old ended the year on a high by adding the Sussex Stakes to his collection.  

Canford Cliffs reappeared in the middle of 2011 as a four-year-old, comfortably winning on his first start of the year at the Lockinge Stakes by 1¼ lengths from Worthad. He then made a third winning appearance at Royal Ascot, this year for the Queen Anne Stakes. Despite many tipping Goldikova to beat him, Canford Cliffs showed his class in the last 100 yards and went on to win what would end up being his last major victory. 

The rest of 2011 wasn't as successful, however, and by August it had become clear that a leg injury was beginning to plague the stallion, resulting in the four-year old being retired. Canford Cliffs currently stands at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, with a stud fee reaching nearly £15,000. 

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