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I suspect it wasn’t all down to the track today. Frankie was busy with the right rein from leaving the stalls to the extent that the horse looked outpaced. It surely couldn’t have been that to blame so early despite that steep 3 furlongs at the start. My other thought was that maybe he was trying to wake the horse up, but there was never a point where Frankie seemed happy; the horse was niggled throughout.
He looked superb today in his development from last year if a shade off 100% fit to my eye. I just wonder if his increased size has brought an increased laziness. I wonder too if Gosden will step up his homework to give him more thorough workouts close to race time.
Frankie wasn’t panicking late and obviously felt in the last half furlong that the horse had a fair bit left in the tank and was going to get there. Also, you couldn’t rule out that, come the end of the season this might turn out to have been a decent performance. The time was almost 2 seconds faster than that put up by a decisive Oaks winner.
Final thought: despite a good performance at York last season, he might well prefer going right handed.
Cracksman for some reason don’t the like Epsom track. Won by a short head from Permian in Derby Trial last year and beaten favorite at the Derby. Nothing to worry….He should do better at Royal Ascot. As far as the Arc battle with Saxon Warrior is concerned, he will beat Saxon Warrior by at least 5 lengths at Longchamp. There is a massive class difference between 2 horses.
Based on what austin? How can you assume saxon warrior wont be better? Hes already better than cracksman was at the same age…
Its well documented on here that im not cracksmans biggest fan or atleast wasnt, but i was definitely too harsh on him, he is indeed a top class animal and to win a group1 when never travelling in a decent time, suggests plenty of talent
But you cannot assume SW wont be as good/better…. if he winss cosily tomorrow hes not going to be rated far behind cracksman after just 4 runs….
Interesting points Steeplechasing. Cracksman was extremely relaxed before the race today. Last year I recall he took a bit of constraining in the preliminaries. Every respect for John G and his handling of these Frankels but I did wonder, even before the off, if he hadn’t got him a bit TOO switched off today
Agree 100% Joe & Tonge – it certainly wasn’t just the track, neither was it his flat spots. The horse was being niggled from the off (which climbs steeply uphill). This is not just a matter of a big, heavy-topped horse, who hits the ground hard and with a wide action, not handling the downhill and camber. Something else was afoot.
Frankie described him as ‘sleepy’ – and that’s what he raced like. Maybe it was the humidity/stuffiness of the day? Some big horses don’t go well in such conditions (breathing?). Maybe, as Tonge suggests, he’s had the fizz taken out of him (JG’s ‘He’s more professional’ comment). Maybe something else wasn’t quite right (I am remembering how Mill Reef struggled to beat Homeric in the Coronation, but turned out to be harbouring a virus and also thinking Lah Ti Dah). Whatever, he had a hard race there for something that was supposed to be a ‘how far’ job.
I can’t help thinking that they should have stuck to their guns with his original planned programme and not tried to make hay whilst Enable was away.
It’s a bitter-sweet scenario for me if Cracksman doesn’t run in the Arc. I have Saxon Warrior for that race at 50/1 and Cracksman at 5/1 was a second string that seemed well worth having. Obviously, it all depends on Saxon Warrior winning the Derby first but it may be that a Cracksman absence would open the door a bit wider for the younger horse.
I think it’s fairly obvious where the thread wandered into premature hoisting of Cracksman onto a pedestal and then almost got knocked off it at gross odds-on the very next run.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
Saxon Warrior is a much faster horse than Cracksman. Tomorrow will tell us how much stamina the younger horse possesses but at the moment Saxon Warrior is a two time group 1 winner going into the Derby. He is officially rated 120.
Cracksman went into last year’s Derby after scrambling home in a Listed race. He lined up at Epsom rated 109 but couldn’t get the job done. He couldn’t best a future St Leger winner in the Irish Derby and some people are a bit dubious about Cracksman’s official rating of 130. He certainly looked well short of that today and the Racing Post gave him as running 12 lbs short of his best on 119 on their ratings scale. To make the run seem as good as that, they had to raise Salouen 7 lbs past his previous best on what was the 17th start of his career. Oh yes, I believe in Santa myself.
Cracksman will need to concede weight to Saxon Warrior as well in the Arc.
Cracksman stank today and that’s the truth no matter all the excuses being made.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
I wonder if you might be prematurely knocking him off that pedestal Stevie? 5 wins on the trot including 3 Group 1’s is hard to knock. He wasn’t impressive but he got the job done. Don’t write him off just yet!
I was there and he did look very relaxed in the paddock. Some of the others were boiling over (Idaho and Hawkbill) but Cracksman didn’t have a bead of sweat on him. I could have put my mortgage on Frankie riding him handy, as he normally does, so I was immediately surprised when he dropped him out the back. He was being niggled at within a couple of furlongs and was clearly running lazily; on and off the bridle. At the top of the straight it looked briefly like he was going to coast past the front two and win as I had expected him to. But 2 out his goose looked cooked as the brilliant SDS had plenty left on the leader. I don’t know what Cracksman traded at in-running but he must have been 10’s a furlong out as he was at least 2 lengths down. He showed his class and his guts to get up on the line.
After the race I felt exactly the same as I had done after Frankel won the SJP – relieved that he had won but desperately disappointed with the performance (an RPR of 119 says it all). I guess we have to decide whether that was Cracksman at his best or that he just had an off day. Royal Ascot should tell us more. For me today was a combination of the horse not being at his best (for whatever reason), a track that probably doesn’t play to his strengths and tactics that meant he had lots of ground to make up on a horse that wasn’t stopping. We have to remember that they are not machines and even his dad had one bad day. But despite all that I still think it would take a brave person to bet against him returning to his best next time.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
To say a horse that has won a Group 1 race “stank” is quite frankly ridiculous. You have only listed the races he lost when clearly still a work in progress plus today’s race and conveniently left out the 4 in between where he won by a combined total of over 20 lengths!! Salouen was running over 12f on soft for the first time and enjoyed the run of the race and a good ride. I don’t think his rating is in anyway over the top. Cracksman was not at his best today I grant you but he still won and your comments are harsh in the extreme I think Steve….
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Frankel wasn’t straightforward and some of his stock have shown wayward tendencies. Cracksman might simoly be lazy. It has always taken him some time to hit top speed and maybe Frankie is going to have to play safe in future. His lack of tactical speed could prove a major drawback in the Arc but he’s entitled, as any horse is, to what appears at the moment to be an off day today. As Titus says, perhaps a virus will turn up or some other physical reason. It would be foolish in the extreme to write him off at this stage.
Agreed Joe. Perhaps we need to have some perspective as well. He is NOT Frankel but he is a very good multi-group 1 winning horse who I think we ALL agree was not at his best today. But like we don’t judge Golden Horn on his 2nd to Arabian Queen, I don’t think we should be too quick to do the same here.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
That’s the way it is Joni. I speak from an entirely neutral standpoint. I have no pet favourites and Cracksman’s place in the greats of the game is not there by any means yet. He needs to go through this season and land the Arc to do that in my opinion and it’s long odds on in the betting that he won’t do it, given 6/4 for his next two targets and 10/3 for the Arc.
If he runs like he did today he’s got no chance. Idaho was well below form today and Hawkbill ran to 78. Despite those two pitiful efforts, Cracksman has scrambled home, beating rank outsiders.
I don’t know why people cannot be allowed their honest opinion on here without someone coming on to say it is harsh on my part. I was sick fed up with it during the jump season with people having a go because I said something they didn’t like about their beloved horse. I am only giving MY opinion.
Just for the record, Bristol De Mai, Yorkhill, The New One, Total Recall etc etc ALL flopped after I made my comments. Every single one of the ones I had a go at, in people’s eyes, was utter mince.
It’s not me putting Cracksman on the pedestal early and perhaps he will get there in time, I am just saying that it might be unwise to be making too many excuses at this stage and bookmakers seem to be more in line with my own feelings. If people want to put their balls on the chopper in confidence then that is their prerogative.
Lazy headlines like the one on the Racing Post website today “Cracksman wins thriller to extend unbeaten sequence” don’t tell the true story and they don’t serve the readers and punters very well. The whole Racing media is a load of old hyped welly designed to fill bookmakers pockets. I am here as an antidote to that tired old pish, with genuine, unbiased, opinion. Readers of “My Little Pony Post” may want to look away for fear of glimpsing the truth.
Over and out on this topic.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
There is nothing unreasonable in that post and of course you are entitled to your opinion as we all are. I think it was your choice of words – saying he “stank” was I thought harsh when the horse actually showed tremendous guts to get up having looked beat for most of the race. Totally agree that his place amongst the greats is far from assured and that he will need to do a whole lot better next time. I’ll always fiercely defend my horses (if only!) as you know. You yourself wrote a post making excuses for him with the track and it certainly IS a plausible excuse seeing as he has now put in 3 moderate runs there. If he gets beat next time then it might be different but UNTIL he gets beat I prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt. Anyway – I think we can ALL agree it was a thrilling race no?!
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Sds doesnt get enough credit, gave salouen a very, very good ride.
He got the horse to finish in a position he likely wouldnt have without him on board IMO
Winning group 1s when quite far from your best usually points to something pretty great, he wasnt impressive today, but it was “great” under the circumstances
Cant see him beating enable if she makes it back for the arc though.
Steve I know it’s your opinion and your fully entitled to it, and I enjoy reading it. There’s no doubt though, you’re very keen to write horses off after one below par showing!
He was way below par today, plenty of reasons given here and who knows which are right. He still found a way to win, in my opinion a great ride in the end still. A great ride on the second as well.
I won’t sit here and tell you I think he’s the second coming, but he’s a bloody good horse, in a year were there doesn’t seem to be a bag full.
Twitter: Jackh1092
Hindsight is 20/20 so make the most of it!Obviously he’s versatile regards 10f and 12f but what do we think is his best distance.?
On paper going by previous results it looks 10f to me and this was Enables race with Cracksman originally going straight to Royal Ascot after the Ganay. Not sure if the change of plans would have made much difference regards getting him ready for this as Enable’s setback was over a month ago. Looking at yesterday you’d think 10f would be too short now as he ran ‘lazy’ in patches and stayed on strong enough doing his best work at the end. That wasn’t his best run and I’m sure he’s still efficient over 10f and with the Prince of Wales the likely next race Gosden seems happy enough to drop him in trip. Very interesting though how they map out his season now with Enable out. He surely won’t run in every one of the Prince of Wales, Eclipse, KG, International, Champion Stakes and Arc or can he.? I know Enable is due back in August but not set in stone she’ll be as good as she was.Blackbeard to conquer the World
Where did I write the horse off?
I only said that yesterday’s show would be no good in better company.
I wasn’t buying into the reasons being given as good enough to explain such a poor show.
As someone with Cracksman at 4/1 for the King George and 5/1 for the Arc, it is clear how I regard him as a prospect. I just feel he’s already being seen as a superstar and I think it’s too early for that.
Anyway, there is now a reason that I do accept as explaining the poor effort. Frankie has said the horse banged his head on the stalls just before they opened. The trainer reckons the colt was dazed and this caused the slow start and inability to get travelling. Gosden feels that Cracksman probably ran most of the race in a half stunned state.
That makes much more sense to me than blaming the track/jockey etc for what was intrinsically a bad run.
As I said, I am n Cracksman for two races and it’s in my interests for him to bounce back. I was just saying that yesterday’s bare form was miles short and that we need to see him win a few more races to confirm his position in the annals of Racing.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
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