Paco Boy silences doubters

Paco Boy put doubts about his staying ability firmly to rest by claiming victory in the Queen Anne Stakes, the opening race of Royal Ascot.

The Richard Hannon-trained horse hit the front with a furlong to go and pulled clear of the opposition to eventually win by a length.

The 100-30 shot, ridden by Richard Hughes, finished ahead of Cesare, with Aglaam coming half a length behind in third place.

Favourite Gladiatorus was a major disappointment, storming to a five-length lead in the early stages but eventually fading all the way down to sixth.

Aglaam took up the lead from the 9-4 shot but Paco Boy, Cesare and Main Aim all lurked behind.

Stayer

A confident Hughes timed his charge to perfection and Paco Boy raced away to offer conclusive proof that he can stay a mile at the top level, a fact Hannon was keen to highlight after the race.

"I think it's put a few old jokers to bed. If he didn't stay a mile he stayed it better than the others anyway," he said.

"He wasn't quite right at Newbury (Lockinge Stakes) and came home with an infection in a foot, he wasn't moving quite right.

"Now we've had the time to get him right again and I couldn't be more delighted for the little horse."

Asked about future plans, Hannon said: "We'll go for the Prix de la Foret, of course, and we were going to whip back to the July Cup if things didn't happen here but we are going to have a rethink now I suppose."

Deserved

The British trainer watched Paco Boy fade to fourth in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in May, but Hannon was still confident of victory before the stalls opened in the Queen Anne.

"A child could ride him when he's right but at Newbury he was pulling and that's not him," the former champion trainer added.

"We brought him home and he had poison in his foot, so he had a good reason. He deserves everything he gets now.

"Today he just eased up there, it was like a bit of work. My only worry was whether to sit a little bit longer.

"He was electric today and he's something else. People kept knocking him but they have to accept he's a top-class horse now."