Paco is primed for Ascot test

Dual Breeders' Cup Mile heroine Goldikova and Sussex Stakes winner Rip Van Winkle are preparing to take on the apple of Richard Hannon's eye in what should be a thrilling contest.

His son and assistant Richard jnr admits that Paco Boy still has it to prove against opponents of that calibre, but believes if he is ever going to do so, then it will be this year.

"The Queen Anne looks like being the race of the week and hopefully they will all turn up and it will be a very good race,'' said Hannon jnr.

"Goldikova is very good and she'll be very hard to beat.

"I think he's better this year, he seems to have improved, but Goldikova is a champion and Paco Boy is not at that status yet.

"He does seem better this year than ever and if he's ever going to beat her, it will be this year.

"There is still a very small chance we might have a look at the Golden Jubilee, but I would say that it is more than likely he'll run in the Queen Anne. He's very adaptable, he's very fast.

"We need them all to meet for racing. Not that we need to build Royal Ascot up, but I imagine there will be a lot of people going just to see that race alone,'' he told At The Races.

Queen Anne Stakes – Victor Chandler bet: 2-1 Paco Boy,

9-4 Goldikova, 5-2 Rip Van Winkle, 12-1 bar.

Hannon jnr also believes that stablemate Canford Cliffs is unlikely to be inconvenienced by going round a bend for the first time in Ascot's St James's Palace Stakes.

Last year's Coventry Stakes winner finally lived up to the hype when running out a ready winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas.

He has ground to make up on his Newmarket conqueror Makfi and stablemate Dick Turpin, who has beaten him twice already this season, but Hannon jnr is feeling bullish.

"He's in very good form and he's come out of the Irish race very well,'' he said.

"I wouldn't have thought going round a bend will bother him, he's very straightforward. He has ducked left on occasions but he's very straightforward generally.

"They went a very good gallop in Ireland and he was able to just get a nice tow off the leaders. The way he won, he won it so well, he never looked as if he was going to be beaten. He was very impressive and it definitely suited him being held up.

"He came home so well at Newmarket I was a little bit disappointed he didn't win that day.

"He'd had a prep run and there was no issue with the trip so it was maybe the dip that beat him.

"We are taking on the winner again but we'll still fancy him.''

Having finished just in front of Canford Cliffs at Newmarket in second, Dick Turpin then filled the same spot in France behind subsequent impressive French Derby winner Loup De Vega.

"You've got to respect him, he's done absolutely nothing wrong and when you look at the way that horse won the French Derby (on Sunday), there was no shame in being beaten by him,'' added Hannon. "He's suffered a bit by being in Canford Cliffs' shadow but he's a very, very good horse."

Aidan O'Brien has been officially charged by the British Horseracing Authority following Cape Blanco's victory in the Dante Stakes at York in May.

The Ballydoyle handler refused to allow his stable lad Pat Keating permission to trot the horse up in front of the BHA's veterinary officer and the senior racecourse veterinary surgeon as part of their examination of the colt.

O'Brien has been charged with breaches of Rule (A)37 and (B)83, in that he encouraged and/or caused Keating to refuse to comply with two instructions given by the stewards.

A date has yet to be announced for the hearing.