Paco primed for American dream
Paco Boy will renew rivalries with Goldikova in the Breeders’ Cup Mile next month.
The Richard Hannon-trained five-year-old once again found only Freddie Head’s superstar too good in the Prix de la Foret on Arc day, and is now firmly on course for a trip to Churchill Downs in a bid to sign off his career in the best possible style.
Hannon said: “Paco Boy has a terrific turn of foot and the style of American racing should suit him, but there is a certain Goldikova standing in our way again.
“She is the dual world champion and we have yet to beat her in four attempts, but we got to within half a length of her at Longchamp last week and, with this being Paco Boy’s final race before he starts his stallion career at Highclere Stud, I don’t blame the owners for wanting to have a go at the big bucks.”
Hannon will not be losing sleep over the draw, adding on his website, www.richardhannonracing.tv, that Paco Boy “is a horse who has to be held up, so therefore an inside stall would be more of a hindrance than a help.
“Barathea was drawn one when he won the Mile at Churchill Downs in 1994 and Da Hoss two when he won there four years later, but both War Chant and Miesque’s Approval had double-figure stalls when they won at subsequent Breeders’ Cups in Kentucky and Goldikova was also drawn wide last year, albeit at Santa Anita, so it could be more a case of who gets the luck in running.
“Paco Boy has had a long old year and since he won the Sandown Mile in April he has raced every month apart from July, so you just hope we have not squeezed the lemon dry.
“However, he looks as good now as he did in the spring, so we have to go there fancying our chances of getting a slice of the pie, though I see the last four times the Breeders’ Cup has been staged at Churchill they have described the turf course as ’firm’, so it would be nice to think that they might get a drop of rain in the run up to the race.”
Joining Paco Boy in Kentucky will be recent Newmarket second Tale Untold, who looks set to have her final start under the tuition of Hannon.
The trainer said: “Tale of Untold, who was bought by American Marc Keller during the summer, will probably stay over in the USA after running in the Juvenile Fillies on the grass.
“She was unlucky to be touched off in two valuable Sales races at Newmarket, yet she still picked up her new connections almost £94,000, which has paid for the trip.
“I don’t know what the opposition will be like, but she is a decent filly who is well capable of getting in the money again.”
