Frankel is looking set to do all the talking for Cecil

The four-year-old Canford Cliffs is a five-time Group One winner and defeated Goldikova in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, but giving 8lb to Frankel at Glorious Goodwood may be too much to bear.

Sir Henry Cecil’s unbeaten colt has plenty of history on his side, as six of the last 10 winners have been three-year-olds, and only one four-year-old has prevailed in that time.

Added to that, his simply stunning victory in the 2000 Guineas marked him out as a cut above, and though he had to battle to win narrowly in the St James’s Palace Stakes at the Royal meeting, he may have been set alight too early that day.

Connections of Canford Cliffs, however, are up for the challenge and trainer Richard Hannon has yet to find any weakness in the four-year-old, who he believes is at his peak.

“Unfortunately, one of them will be beaten. I don’t know who is going to win. It will be very interesting to see what happens,” he said. “If there are any weaknesses in Canford Cliffs, I haven’t found them.

“Once Richard (Hughes) had Canford Cliffs settled as a three-year-old, it all happened from there. He is probably at his peak now. He is a strong horse and going well.

“In a small field, you just wonder where the pace will come from but whatever Richard does in the race is okay with me – he is a top-class jockey.

“He knows the horse better than anybody else.

“The only thing that would worry me is that last year he did not like coming down the hill at Goodwood particularly well but he is a year older now and a more mature horse so I don’t think it will be a problem.”

Cecil, has trained five winners of the Sussex and is happy to let the horse do the talking with his performances.

“Anything can happen and there is no such thing as a certainty,” he said.

“There is nothing wrong with them (Canford Cliffs’ connections) saying what they feel as long as they interest everybody. I can understand that.

“Everybody is very excited about the race and it’s important for racing, so they are doing nothing wrong.

“I personally prefer to keep quiet and let the horse do the talking. Let’s hope he does.

“He’s definitely growing up quite a lot. He has got a lot of character and enjoys himself, but he is getting much more sensible and it’s easier to do what you want to do with him.

“We’ll just feel our way. I know what we’d like to do, but I’m not going to make it public.

“You can discuss what the best thing to do is but at the end of the day you just have to see how the race pans out. The jockey knows the horse.

“The main thing is that it’s a fair race and the best horse wins.”

The best bet of the day could come in the UBS Handicap, as Middleham trainer Mark Johnston runs Halifax.

After coming from last to first to land a handicap at Newcastle in May, Johnston took the option of stepping him up to two miles for the Queen’s Vase.

Though well in contention on the home straight in that Royal Ascot race, he did not quite seem to see the trip out, but there looked to be races to be won with him over this sort of trip, with a mark of 93 far from harsh.

Another Yorkshire trainer hoping for victory in Sussex is John Quinn, who saddles Red Duke in the Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes, though he has to carry a 3lb penalty for having already scooped a Group Two success at Newmarket.

The Settrington handler said: “He’s in good form and we’re very happy with him. He’s very well and we’re hoping for a good run, but obviously the penalty is a concern. He’s won over the trip so that’s good thing and the same rider (Kieren Fallon) back on is a plus, so we’re hopeful.”

Johnston also has a runner in Beverley scorer Elkhart, and the handler said: “It’s a big jump up in class for him but we’ve got a good record in the race.”