John Gosden will travel to Ireland on Saturday under no illusions about the task facing Cracksman in the Irish Derby. The lightly raced colt faces a much smaller field than when he was beaten by only a length in the Epsom version four weeks ago but the opposition is led by two high-quality rivals from France and Ireland and Gosden was emphatic in his admiration for them as he discussed the race on Friday.
In particular, he will give no comfort to those who imagine there might have been anything flukey about the Epsom outcome, in which the 40-1 shot Wings Of Eagles appeared as if from nowhere in the closing stages to mow down tiring rivals. “Wings Of Eagles was clearly the best in the Derby,” Gosden said. “He was checked twice in his run and still finished powerfully.”
Of the Andre Fabre-trained Waldgeist, Gosden added: “Andre’s horse brings very good credentials too. I was at Saint-Cloud when he won his Group One last year and was impressed by him. I thought he ran a blinder to be second in the Prix du Jockey-Club over a distance that was probably too short for him.”
The betting market has spent the week gradually waking up to the task facing Cracksman, who was the joint-favourite with Wings Of Eagles on Monday but is now third in most lists at odds of 100-30. Significant rainfall at The Curragh early this week has been cited as one reason for his drift in the betting but that is not a factor that bothers his trainer.
“I hope the ground will stay as it is currently described, good to yielding. If so, then I don’t think anyone can complain,” Gosden said. “If it went proper soft, I don’t think that would be his favourite, though his dam won on it and the sire, too, at the end of his career.” It is an allusion to the very last outing of Frankel, who beat Cirrus Des Aigles on autumnal soft ground in the 2012 Champion Stakes.
That mention of Frankel brings up a concern that seems to weigh more heavily with Gosden than the going, the mile and a half distance of Saturday’s race. While Cracksman kept on to the line over the same distance at Epsom, that was on a fast surface at a sharp track and the Irish Derby may be significantly more testing.
“He’s by Frankel out of a Pivotal mare,” Gosden said, “so you could argue this is the top end of his range. We’ll see. He’s been fine since Epsom. He ran a very good race there and it was only his third race. But the races don’t get any easier and I am aware he is the least experienced in this field. That’s not by chance, of course. He only had one run last year, which was all he needed, or wanted.”
Pat Smullen, last year’s Irish Derby-winning jockey, rides Cracksman for the first time as a result of the shoulder injury suffered by Frankie Dettori. “Frankie’s been incredibly selfless,” Gosden said. “He called all the jockeys [who substituted for him] at Ascot, went through all the races with them, described how those horses should be ridden. He’s already talked to Pat and we can’t ask for any more.”
Cracksman is the only Irish Derby runner at shorter than 28-1 who is not owned or part-owned by John Magnier and Michael Tabor, the powerful figures behind the Coolmore operation. They have had a share in Waldgeist since the French horse began his career, though he is expected to carry the red silks of Dietrich von Boetticher, which were carried to victory in this race 12 years ago by Hurricane Run.
The Curragh has taken only 1mm of rain since Thursday morning, much less than was forecast, reports Pat Webb, the head groundsman. He described the round course as good, good to yielding in places and expects it will dry out to almost good by the time of the Derby.
Meanwhile, a continuing power struggle between the British Horseracing Authority and East Lothian Council resulted in Musselburgh racecourse losing its licence to stage racing on Friday. The BHA is insisting on an independent review of the track’s governance, to which the Council will not agree. It has been suggested in the Racing Post that the council fears such a review would recommend an end to the Council’s majority control of the committee that runs Musselburgh.
According to a BHA statement, Musselburgh will start losing fixtures if it is not able to recover its licence within a week. However, the trainer Jim Goldie, who has been involved in managing Musselburgh, remains optimistic that a compromise will be found.
“Hopefully it will be resolved shortly,” Goldie said. “The council will have to start towing the line. I don’t think they realise the significance of it. They’ve been dragging their feet because of the election and the politics and the rest of it.”
Saturday tips
Chester 1.45 Infamous Lawman 2.20 Ballesteros 2.55 Vona 3.25 Billy Dylan 4.00 Hochfeld 4.35 Normal Equilibrium (nb) 5.10 Perfect Summer
Doncaster 5.55 Art Echo 6.25 Sultanaa 6.55 Ptarmigan Ridge 7.25 Loving 7.55 Tricky Dicky 8.25 Maulesden May 8.55 Old China
Lingfield 5.40 Grand Facile 6.10 Leapt 6.40 King Of Scotland 7.10 Indian Warrior 7.40 Never You Mind 8.10 Express Lady 8.40 The Big Short
Newcastle 1.50 Amazour 2.25 Don’t Touch 3.00 I Am Not Here 3.30 Flymetothestars 4.05 Lac Leman 4.45 Auspicion 5.15 Knowing Glance
Newmarket 2.05 Second Step (nap) 2.40 Dance Diva 3.15 Breton Rock 3.50 Jack Regan 4.20 Nathania 4.55 Jufn 5.30 Pavillon
Windsor 2.10 Grand Koonta 2.45 Hollander 3.20 Out Of The Flames 3.55 Stockhill Diva 4.25 Morando 5.00 Many Dream 5.35 Justice Rock
York 1.55 Queen Penn 2.30 Sainted 3.05 Appointed 3.35 Power Game 4.15 White Rosa 4.50 Black Grass 5.25 Richi McCaw
