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Shuttle stallion Canford Cliffs is an odds-on favourite to be the leading first season sire by winners in the UK and Ireland this year after a remarkable run of success over the last week.
The great run for the five-time G1 winner continued at Ascot on July 24 when the Richard Hannon-trained two-year-old Wall Of Fire (Canford Cliffs x Bright Sapphire, by Galileo) scored on debut overt six furlongs.
Wall Of Fire was the sixth 2YO winner in five days by Canford Cliffs and took his tally of first season winners to 15 in Europe and 12 in the UK and Ireland.On July 22 Mick Channon sent out the filly Cuppatee (Canford Cliffs x Fanditha, by Danehill Dancer) to win at Catterick, a day after the David O’Meara-trained filly Poplar Close (Canford Cliffs x Magena, by Kingmambo) won at Musselburgh.
On July 20 the David Elsworth-trained filly Justice Lass (Canford Cliffs x Dibiya, by Caerleon) struck in a Windsor maiden while the previous day Canford Cliffs had a fillies double at Maisons-Laffitte in France when Al Shaqab Racing’s newcomer Al Jazi (Canford Cliffs x Rainbow Crossing, by Cape Cross) won a six-furlong maiden and Pitou (Canford Cliffs x La Suvera, by Choisir) scored for Fabrice Chappet.Canford Cliffs is now a big leader on the First Season Sires table in the UK and Ireland by winners with 12, four clear of the Coolmore shuttler Zoffany on eight.
He is six in front of Zoffany (15 to 9) when winners in Europe are included but Zoffany still leads Canford Cliffs by prizemoney.Canford Cliffs shuttles to Blue Gum Farm in Victoria where the son of Targus covered 83 mares last spring including Helsinge, the dam of champion sprinter Black Caviar and G1 winning sire All Too Hard.
Lilbourne Lad and Dream Ahead are the only other first season sires conceded an outside chance to beat Canford Cliffs for the title.Betting for the 2015 Leading First Season Sire by winners (Britain and Ireland): 4-6 Canford Cliffs (from 5-4); 6-4 Zoffany (from evens); 6/1 Lilbourne Lad, Dream Ahead; 16/1 Poet's Voice; 33/1 Roderic O'Connor, Frozen Power; 66 /1Pour Moi; 100/1 Dick Turpin.
Other 2YO results from the UK on July 25 saw black type wins for Kodiac and Shamardal.Besharah (Kodiac x Dixieland Kiss by Dixie Union) ran out a three lengths winner of the G3 Princess Margaret Stakes ) at Ascot to become the 18th stakes winner for the boom son of Danehill. Kodiac stands at Tally Ho Stud in Ireland.
Sixth Sense (Shamardal x Shinko Hermes by Sadler’s Wells) made all the running to take the Listed Winkfield Stakes at Ascot and become the 83rd stakes winner and 20th this year for the former Darley shuttle sire.Sixth Sense, third in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot, is a half-brother to three stakes performers including the multiple stakes winner Lake Toya.
His dam, the Sadler’s Wells mare Shinko Hermes, is a half-sister to the champion Generous and a full-sister to Oaks winner Imagine.Shamardal’s stakes winners this year include Hong Kong champion Able Friend, Singapore G1 winner Dan Excel and eight other Group winners including Balios, Dariyan, Amaron, Tryster, French Navy and Fintry.