Tuesday’s best bets, by Chris Cook
A first clash between Cracksman and Enable could come sooner than many racing fans expect, at Ascot in late July, and the high-flying stablemates may take each other on twice this year. That possibility was raised by their trainer, John Gosden, when we had a quick word at a press conference in Newmarket yesterday.
“I could definitely see them meeting in a King George and an Arc. I could see that as a strong possibility,” Gosden said.
The Arc is well established as the big aim for both horses this year but it would be a real boon to British racegoers if they were also to clash at Ascot. Cracksman’s owner, Anthony Oppenheimer, said all the way back in October that the King George and the Arc would be his horse’s two big targets for 2018. Teddy Grimthorpe, who speaks for Enable’s owner, mentioned both those races and the Juddmonte International as her main targets at the weekend.
Of course, there’s many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip. A lot of things would have to go smoothly for the next four months if Enable and Cracksman were to meet at Ascot. But it could happen and it’s great to learn that they are not to be kept apart just because they live in the same place.
Cracksman is due to return to action in the Prix Ganay at the end of April and may progress from there to the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in late May. Enable will be about ready to make her reappearance then; connections have yet to identify a target race but it sounds as though Epsom’s Coronation Cup is a distinct possibility.
It’s set to be another big year for Mr Gosden, who, in Stradivarius, also has a horse who might actually land the new £1m bonus for stayers, being offered by Weatherbys Hamilton. The dashing chestnut would have to win one of four designated races at the start of the year, then follow up in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, the Goodwood Cup and the Lonsdale Cup, which is clearly a very tall order. But the owner, Bjorn Neilsen, was reported by Gosden to be “bang up for it”.
Personally, I’m bang up for some 7-2 (available as I type) about Breaking Ground (4.45) in a handicap hurdle at Hereford. This six-year-old was a revelation when he hosed up at Wincanton last month and he was again moving nicely when he stumbled and unseated back there three weeks ago.
Remarkably, he was a first hurdles winner in the seven-year career of his Dorset trainer, Richenda Ford, who is really more into chasers. But I think she has a hurdler here who is nicely ahead of his mark.
I fancy taking on Rolling Dylan in the earlier novice chase, for which he is currently favourite. He only had to beat one other finisher at Chepstow last time and it was hard to admire the way he threw away victory by idling on the run-in at Taunton in January.
Geordie Des Champs (2.45) was a better hurdler than him and can prove a better chaser, in receipt of 6lb. He finished really strongly to score at Taunton last time, despite having pulled hard and jumped moderately. It was only his second start over fences and we could see something better again here at odds of 15-8.
Southwell 2.00 Katheefa 2.30 Walk On Walter 3.00 Kingstreet Lady 3.30 Acker Bilk 4.00 Mister Music 4.30 Medici Moon 5.00 Powerful Society 5.30 Port Soif
Hereford 2.15 Broughtons Admiral 2.45 Geordie Des Champs (nb) 3.15 Jurby 3.45 Monet Moor 4.15 Frank N Fair 4.45 Breaking Ground (nap) 5.15 Outrageous Romana
Newcastle 5.40 Mambo Dancer 6.10 Theglasgowwarrior 6.40 Ghostly Arc 7.10 Maulesden May 7.40 Samharry 8.10 Shanghai Elastic
Tips by Chris Cook.
