22 August 2018
Photo scoopdyga.com
Cracksman (Frankel), having earned the dual accolade of Europe’s top rated horse and best three-year-old of 2017 in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse rankings, is expected to contest the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr1) without a prep race under his belt. The winner of the Prix Ganay and the Coronation Cup was beaten in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 20th on fast ground – which is hardly his cup of tea. He was being touted as a potential runner in today’s {August 22} Juddmonte International Stakes at York, but the good to firm ground at the ‘Knavesmire’ dissuaded his connections from heading north. A similar scenario unfolded in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on July 28th: again causing Cracksman to remain in dry dock. Trainer John Gosden said: “The ground was a bit quick for Cracksman to run in the Juddmonte and we may take him straight to the Arc as he goes well fresh and is not the kind of horse that needs a prep. The idea would be for him to take in two races in October and after the Arc point him to have another crack at the Champion Stakes.”
Cracksman is expected to face his stablemate, Enable (Nathaniel), the 2017 ‘Arc’ winner, at ParisLongchamp on October 7th. The latter is expected to make her return in the September Stakes at Kempton on September 8th.