Blue Gum Farm stallion Canford Cliffs was represented by his first stakes winner when Painted Cliffs surprised in the G2 Railway Stakes (1200m) at the Curragh.

Earlier on Saturday, his daughter Bournemouth Belle was stakes placed in the LR Empress Stakes at Newmarket.

“I was very impressed with him,” jockey Ryan Moore said.  “I got him off the bridle and I was there too soon.  He’s a nice colt.”

Canford Cliffs (Tagula) was a top-class two-year-old winning the G2 Coventry Stakes by 6 lengths at Royal Ascot.  He landed the Irish 2000 Guineas, St James’s Palace Stakes and Sussex Stakes at three and took his Group 1 tally to five in the Lockinge and Queen Anne Stakes at four.

He shuttles from Coolmore Ireland and his first two-year-old crop has so far yielded six individual winners.

Painted Cliffs (2c Canford Cliffs – Lulawin by Kyllachy) is from a half-sister to Excellent Art who was a beaten favourite in the 2006 Railway Stakes.  His dam is also a half-sister to Ascot Stakes winner Double Obsession and the family includes champions Chris Evert, Chief’s Crown and Winning Colors.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien was winning his 12th Railway Stakes with Painted Cliffs.  “We liked him before he ever ran but first-up he was very idle and babyish.  We put the blinkers on at Leopardstown and he won but I wasn’t sure if they helped him concentrate or that it was just a bad race.”

Rathbarry Stud bought Painted Cliffs at the 2013 Tattersalls Foal Sale for 100,000gns (AUD 181,575) and resold him to MV Magnier for 200,000 euros (AUD 287,955) at the 2014 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale.

Blue Gum Farm is standing Canford Cliffs for a $13,750 (inc gst) fee in 2015.

PAINTED CLIFFS