Richard Hannon believes Paco Boy will be a tough nut to crack when he goes for back-to-back victories in the Queen Anne Stakes.
The five-year-old increased his reputation with a fine win in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on Saturday. Now the Everleigh trainer's sights turn to Royal Ascot, when his stable star could renew rivalry with old adversaries Goldikova from Freddie Head's stable and Aidan O'Brien's Rip Van Winkle.
"The Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot will be his next race. He will be defending his crown and he will be very hard to beat as he looks to have improved again this year," said Hannon.
"I know that we are likely to come up against both Rip Van Winkle and Goldikova, both of whom have beaten us, but Paco Boy is now a different horse than when they last met and I fancy our chances.
"Rip beat us fair and square in the Sussex Stakes last year, but Goodwood is not really our fellow's course.
"True, he won the Lennox there, but he doesn't like the undulations and he didn't come down the hill last year and I know his owners aren't keen on going back there.
"Goldikova beat us in the Moulin two years ago, but Paco Boy was only half a horse then. He has developed so much and is a lovely horse to train," he told www.richardhannonracing.tv.
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