By Tom Frary
If Anthony Oppenheimer or John Gosden had any anxious moments about changing their plan and running Cracksman after his G2 Great Voltigeur S. rout, the homebred put them at ease with another authoritative success under hands and heels. This was a performance that would normally put a 3-year-old in the front line for the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, but it also marked him as a true stayer who would have unquestionably had Saturday's G1 St Leger in safe keeping had connections gone that way. It is clear from this dismissal of Andre Fabre's Arc hopes that his performance in that Aug. 23 York contest took nothing out of him and his participation in any of the upcoming autumn showcase races will depend on how he continues from here.
Settled second early by Frankie Dettori as Finche strode on, they passed the chateau in a display of Frankel power and turning for home there was only a brief period when Frankie looked animated with Vincent Cheminaud still apparently sitting pretty on the leader. Cracksman had needed time to engage his full stride in his Derbys at Epsom and The Curragh and he again required building up here but as soon as he was comfortable he brushed aside the front-runner approaching the two-furlong marker. From there he had the other Fabre runner Avilius to keep him at it but there was an inevitability about his progress from there to the line and at the close of the race he was once more at his most impressive.
The forces behind Cracksman have a quandary now. The Arc will be an entirely different test to this and if he does not enjoy clear sailing around here he could find himself getting going too late and if he is sent on early he risks a prolonged battle with Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). Ascot's G1 Champion S. could be a more appealing option, especially if it is staged on soft ground but the chances are that he will be put away now with his ego inflated. “We are obviously very happy with the performance, as what we did not want was the horse to have a hard race because he is still maturing and will definitely be a much better horse next year at four,” Oppenheimer said. “In the Derby, he was still rather weak and in the Irish Derby Pat Smullen said to give him a little more time to strengthen and he was stronger at York. We figured if he was to run again in a major race this year, he needed one race in between and the timing of this was perfect. He won like we hoped and now it is a question of making a decision about what happens next. If he runs in the Arc, we will have to use another jockey and I'm not certain we want that but it will also be whether we want him to have a hard race in the Arc or Champion Stakes or put him away. We all know he will be much better next year, so that is the question John Gosden will have to face.” Frankie left no doubt as to his loyalties regarding the showpiece in three weeks's time. “The pace was not very strong, but he won quite comfortably and as we all keep saying will most definitely be stronger next year,” he said. “I will ride Enable in the Arc.”
While it is debatable whether Cracksman is Frankel's best so far, given how well Eminent (Ire) has done of late, he is certainly top two. His liking for easy ground on his last two starts is probably largely down to his dam Rhadegunda being comfortable when it rode testing as she proved when winning the Listed Prix Solitude. Interestingly, her first foal was the G3 Solario S. scorer Fantastic Moon who never raced on ground slower than good. The third dam is the 1000 Guineas and Sussex S. heroine On the House, who raced exclusively on a sound surface and handled firm. She is also the second dam of the G2 Royal Lodge S. winner Leo (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) from the family of the Oppenheimers's 1997 G1 Coronation S. winner Rebecca Sharp (GB) (Machiavellian) and the G1 Epsom Derby, G1 Eclipse S. and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}). Rhadegunda's 2-year-old colt by New Approach (Ire) is named Military Band (GB).
Sunday, Chantilly, France
QATAR PRIX NIEL-G2, €130,000, CHY, 9-10, 3yo, c/f, 12fT, 2:37.78, sf.
1–CRACKSMAN (GB), 128, c, 3, by Frankel (GB)">Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Rhadegunda (GB) (SW-Fr), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: St Radegund (GB), by Green Desert
3rd Dam: On the House, by Be My Guest
O-A E Oppenheimer; B-Hascombe & Valiant Studs (GB); T-John Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. €74,100. Lifetime Record: GSW & G1SP-Eng, G1SP-Ire, 6-4-1-1, €721,082. *1/2 to Fantastic Moon (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), GSW-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Avilius (GB), 128, c, 3, Pivotal (GB)–Alessandria (GB), by Sunday Silence. O-Godolphin SNC; B-Darley (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €28,600.
3–Finche (GB), 128, c, 3, Frankel (GB)">Frankel (GB)–Binche, by Woodman. O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €13,650.
Margins: 3HF, 1, 4. Odds: 0.40, 7.80, 4.20.
Also Ran: Ice Breeze (GB), Walsingham (Ger). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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