Paco Boy heads to Sussex Stakes

Richard Hannon’s Paco Boy has been confirmed as an entry for this week’s Sussex Stakes at the Glorious Goodwood meeting.

Paco Boy achieved a feature race win at this year’s Royal meeting, winning the 1 mile Queen Anne Stakes, and Hannon is hoping that he will be able to claim another big group one victory when he returns to a mile in the Sussex Stakes.

The colt disappointed at his last outing, coming home fourth in the July Cup. Hannon believes that the 6 furlong trip in the sprint may have contributed to Paco Boy’s poor showing in the race, and is hoping that the 1 mile Sussex Stakes will give him space to improve.

“Paco Boy worked super on Sunday morning and could not be in better shape,” Hannon said on his website. “I have no worries at all about taking on Eclipse runner-up Rip Van Winkle, but Ghanaati is obviously the one we have to beat.”

“Ghanaati looked a very good filly when she won the 1000 Guineas and she confirmed that impression in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. But they say that you should never fight shy of one horse in a race, so, while we face a monumental task trying to concede 11lb, we will give it our best shot.”