Just a week after Paco Boy firmly silenced his stamina doubters in the Lockinge Stakes, stablemate Canford Cliffs repeated the dose to provide Richard Hannon with a third Abu Dhabi Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh.
Richard Hughes rode the ultimate waiting race on the 9-4 favourite and the English Guineas third quickly settled matters inside the distance as he slayed the Classic field by three lengths.
Such was the speed Canford Cliffs showed when bounding six lengths clear in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer, many had predicted a mile would be beyond him.
As with Paco Boy, Hannon was having none of that and his belief was repaid in spades as he followed up wins for Don't Forget Me (1987) and Tirol (1990) in the colts' Classic.
After being beaten when hanging left in the Greenham by stablemate and English and French Guineas runner-up Dick Turpin, Canford Cliffs appeared to stay the trip at Headquarters earlier this month.
He settled much better on this occasion, allowing Hughes to preserve every ounce of energy for the electric burst of speed in the closing stages.
Clive Cox's Xtension and Ralph Beckett's Oasis Dancer both held chances in the front rank heading inside the final two furlongs but joined their rivals in being left for dead by the winner.
Jim Bolger's Free Judgement belied his 25-1 starting price to finish second, with Aidan O'Brien's Viscount Nelson and Steinbeck taking third and fourth respectively.
The winning trainer's son and assistant, Richard Hannon jnr, said: ‘He relaxed a lot more than usual and was able to finish his race.
‘He's won well, didn't hang left today and has run straight to the finish.
‘He did a piece of work last week that was his best since he won the Coventry and Hughesie was able to sit on him like he was a jet-ski.
‘His homework was as good as it was before Ascot and he has run like it today.
‘He'll go to the St James's Palace and deserves to take his chance.
‘Dick Turpin will go for that race too and they are owned by different people so it's not a problem them taking each other on.
‘We probably have three of the best milers (Canford Cliffs, Paco Boy and Dick Turpin) in the country and people keep saying they are all best at seven furlongs.
‘Canford is possibly the best we've ever had and has shown it today.’
Hughes added: ‘He was brilliant and he's silenced a lot of the critics.
‘If Richard Hannon says he'll stay a mile after training for 40 years and being one of the best trainers in England then he'll stay.
‘The race went well, he spat the bridle out straight away and travelled really good.
‘I hope he'll win at Ascot but the French horse (Makfi) is very good. I think I have the key to him now.’
Bolger was satisfied with the performance of the runner-up and he is likely to join Makfi, Canford Cliffs and Dick Turpin on the opening afternoon of the Royal meeting.
Bolger said: ‘I thought he'd be in the first three beforehand and Ascot could be on the agenda.’
Kevin Manning, rider of Free Judgement, added: ‘He hasn't surprised me. I said to Jim when he won the Tetrarch that better ground and a faster pace would be better for him.
‘He'll stay to a mile now I'd have thought, I just think that on the day a very smart horse beat him.’
O'Brien saddled six of the 13 runners and Viscount Nelson fared best of the sextet by building on his 11th-place finish at Newmarket in third.
Steinbeck missed the English equivalent after meeting with a setback earlier in the year and is another bound for the St James's Palace Stakes after shaping promisingly in fourth.
O'Brien said: ‘Viscount Nelson has run a stormer and we'll look at the French Derby with him, that looks a race that might suit him well.
‘Steinbeck has run a lovely race after a long time off. He's come home well and you have to remember it is his first run back in a Classic.
‘We'll look at the St James's Palace now.’
