Cracksman is unlikely to race before October, following the decision to take him out of Wednesday’s Juddmonte International at the final entry stage. While rain had been forecast for the York area, none has fallen since Friday, leaving the surface on the Knavesmire officially described as good to firm, good in places, rather drier than is now thought suitable for Cracksman.
“He likes to get his toe in,” the horse’s trainer, John Gosden, said. “He ran well at Ascot but he wasn’t liking the ground much. I think we’ll now look towards October and either the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe or the Champion Stakes.”
That means Cracksman is unlikely to grace next month’s Irish Champion Stakes, for which he is currently fourth in the betting. He is second favourite for the Arc, behind only his stablemate Enable, who is due to make her comeback from injury next month.
Gosden still has a strong hand in the International, having declared both Roaring Lion and Without Parole, to be ridden respectively by Oisin Murphy and Frankie Dettori. “They’ll both be fine on the ground,” Gosden said.
“Roaring Lion ran a big race when he won the Eclipse and has been pleasing us since. Obviously he meets the runner-up, Saxon Warrior, again.”
While bookmakers have Roaring Lion as the 3-1 second-favourite behind Poet’s Word, they are less taken with the chance of Without Parole, available at 14-1 after finishing seventh in the Sussex Stakes three weeks ago. “I think that’s best forgotten,” Gosden said. “There was no pace and he wasn’t in love with that ground. He strikes us as a horse who could improve again for the step up to a mile and a quarter on faster, summer ground.”
Friday’s Lonsdale Cup is also playing on Gosden’s mind, since his Stradivarius will land a £1m bonus from the sponsors, Weatherbys Hamilton, if the chestnut can add it to his three successes already this season. “He’s well,” the trainer reported.
“Everyone thinks it’s a penalty kick because he’s odds-on but these things are never penalty kicks. It’s only just over three weeks since his last run, which is quick enough, and Willie Mullins has got three in there, so we’re being attacked from all sides.”
Mark Johnston has seven entries for the first day of York’s Ebor festival on Wednesdaybut must be hoping he will not have to wait that long to break Richard Hannon’s record for most winners trained in Britain. The Middleham trainer matched Hannon’s career tally of 4,193 on Saturday but his seven runners since then have all been beaten, including three at Leicester yesterday.
Johnston sends out three on Tuesday, the most likely of which appears to be Smile A Mile, a 2-1 shot for Hamilton’s opening contest.
Hamilton 1.20 Happy Power 1.50 John Kirkup 2.20 Collide 2.50 Falmouth Light 3.20 Mable Lee 3.50 Pammi 4.20 Handsome Bob 4.55 Phebes Dream
Brighton 1.40 Union Rose 2.10 Loving Pearl 2.40 Zoffany Bay 3.10 Institution 3.40 Wotadoll 4.10 Dusty 4.40 Lazizah
Kempton 2.00 Roca Magica (nb) 2.30 Meringue 3.00 Enzemble 3.30 Appointment Only 4.00 Fortune And Glory 4.30 Right Direction (nap) 5.05 Kamra 5.35 True North
Yarmouth 4.50 Terri Rules 5.20 Dinastia 5.50 Encryption 6.20 Busy Street 6.50 Choco Box 7.20 Arnarson 7.50 Topmeup
Newton Abbot 5.00 Set List 5.30 As You Like 6.00 Passing Call 6.30 Mamoo 7.00 Alanjou 7.30 Ayelya
Tips by Chris Cook
