Talks of bringing him to Royal Ascot seem optimistic given he had a tough race on unsuitable ground yesterday.
Eclipse or King George a better option but not for me to second guess J Gosden who makes very very few mistakes.
Talks of bringing him to Royal Ascot seem optimistic given he had a tough race on unsuitable ground yesterday.
Eclipse or King George a better option but not for me to second guess J Gosden who makes very very few mistakes.
Did he really have a hard race, though?
He was unable to show his best form and that would lead me to believe he maybe didn't take too much out of himself.
Illegitimi non carborundum
Gosden has just said on RUK that the horse gave his head a fair old bang on the gate and may have been dazed. He said he could understand the not going on the downhill section but not the uphill early section and he's apparently concluded that the bang on the gate was the reason.
Illegitimi non carborundum
Carl (2nd June 2018)
Shed talk MAN...nothing more nothing less....didnt take him long to come up with that excuse
Formely Fist of Fury
Illegitimi non carborundum
Here's hoping the real Cracksman turns up tomorrow following Epsom. I think he will, certainly hope so as I've chipped away backing him ante-post the last couple of months.
His performance last October was sensational at Ascot & can't be having the opinion some have that he is average.
I'm now tempted with 11/4 with Sky bet to win by 3 lengths + tomorrow.
You could be right on with that bet Danny
We occasionally get a good field for this race but it's not never consistently been the creme de la creme of Group 1's by any stretch of the imagination.
Considering he's already beaten the 2nd fav by 7 lengths he should be winning this desperate renewal hands down.
If he does win it like an odds on shot should it shouldn't be changing anyone's opinion of him.
Formely Fist of Fury
Never went a yard, clearly losing interest in the flat game.
Stick a flight of hurdles in front of him; might liven him up.
Laddies just went 33/1 for the King George........at Kempton on boxing day
Formely Fist of Fury
Hopefully Gosden will get him back to his best in due course but for the time being it was almost worth seeing him beat to stick it right up Chapman and shut his monster gob.
Illegitimi non carborundum
Eleanora Duse (21st June 2018)
I think there's a chance Cracksman will not run again. Personally I felt he needed soft ground and yesterday's going did not suit him: but there was more to it than that. Apparently he was very coltish in the pre-parade ring. Unlikely to have him lose two stones so I'd have thought a convenient injury on the gallops with retirement to the covering shed is a likely outcome.
He was a good horse who appeared very good on soft ground, but he was never outstanding.
They are praying for rain.....even if it does dutching SMS pair is the bet of the season imo
Formely Fist of Fury
Great stuff
Formely Fist of Fury
If he can't run on the current good ground then he's not much use is he?
Plenty of horses in the past have had a pronounced soft ground preference, just as others have a fast ground preference (Alpha Centauri probably).
Mill Reef? Nijinsky? Brigadier Gerard? Frankel? Sea The Stars? Enable?
Hard to think of any true 'Greats' that couldn't perform near their optimum on neutral ground. Always had Cracksman down as a trifle over-rated, but - given his recent form - wouldn't surprise if he never ran again.