Cracksman (GB)

From a January debut at Cagnes-sur-Mer to a jaw-dropping victory on France's biggest day of racing, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) has had quite the season and is now the hottest property in European racing.  We already know where he will stand at stud eventually since his part-sale after his victory in the Prix du Jockey Club to the Chehboub family's Gousserie Racing. Kamel and his daughter Pauline Cheboub will now decide with their partner and the colt's original owner Serge Stempniak and...

   Bringing the house down at ParisLongchamp in the panama hat G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Sunday, Gousserie Racing and Ecuries Serge Stempniak's brilliant Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}--Absolutly Me {Fr}, by Anabaa Blue {GB}) ripped up the rule book in scintillating style to become the first colt to win the revised 10 1/2-furlong G1 Prix du Jockey Club and this prize in the same season. "C'est enorme," uttered an emotional Jean-Claude Rouget after watching his unbeaten star rattle home past most of his rivals under a...

As the only trainer to bring a winner of the "new" Prix du Jockey Club to the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and succeed, Jean-Claude Rouget can be forgiven his aura of zen ahead of the all-important Paris rendezvous for Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) on Sunday. While the yard's Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) took more than a year to complete the difficult double, late September's freak heatwave means that the 2023 edition of this autumn jewel is not the dire test it habitually represents for the Classic...

The undefeated G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe favourite Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) is pleasing trainer Jean-Claude Rouget ahead of the big day on Sunday. He is one of 16 on the radar for the ParisLongchamp showpiece after Sprewell (Ire) (Churchill {Ire})'s defection at the latest forfeit stage on Tuesday. A colourbearer for Gousserie Racing and Ecuries Serge Stempniak, the five-for-five G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero ran out a three-quarter length winner of the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano when last seen in August. "Why shouldn't I be...

The G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club conqueror Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) will head straight to the Oct. 1 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe following his recent victory in Deauville's G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano. Conditioned by Jean-Claude Rouget, the undefeated colt gave Rouget back-to-back Group 1 wins this season and will aim to become the trainer's second victor in Europe's richest middle-distance contest behind multiple Group 1-winner Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). A long-circled date on the calendar for the connections, the team is reportedly happy with Ace Impact's...

Showing the acceleration that brought him one of the best renewals of the G1 Prix du Jockey Club in recent years, Gousserie Racing and Ecuries Serge Stempniak's Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}--Absolutly Me {Fr}, by Anabaa Blue {GB}) comfortably mastered the first test of the 2023 campaign Part II in Tuesday's G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville. Reserved by Cristian Demuro with one behind early as stablemate Cambronne (Fr) (Alex The Winner) acted as a 1980's-style pacemaker in isolation, the latest Jean-Claude Rouget luminary delivered his sustained surge down the...

We've a while to wait before any firm conclusions can be drawn about this year's crop of first-season stallions, though Darley's Blue Point (Ire) and Ballyhane Stud's Soldier's Call (GB) are pulling ever clearer in what has developed into something of a duel at the half-way stage of the Flat season. In the Coolmore camp, Calyx (GB) was the first to strike with a group winner when Persian Dreamer won Friday's G2 Duchess of Cambridge S.  As an aside, one wonders how much the clamour to run two-year-olds at Royal...

A total of 117 yearlings will go under the hammer at the SGA Yearling Sale in Milan on Sept. 9. Past graduates of the sale include the undefeated G3 Premio Regina Elena Italian 1000 Guineas and G2 Oaks d'Italia heroine Shavasana (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who currently races in the colours of Katsumi Yoshida. The catalogue includes lot 9, a filly by Almanzor (Fr), who just sired Thursday's G3 Bahrain Trophy S. hero Castle Way (GB); as well as lot 22, a colt by Derby winner Australia (GB). Darley's Blue Point...

Ecuries Serge Stempniak's hitherto undefeated Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}--Absolutly Me {F}, by Anabaa Blue {GB}) posted a third straight win when annexing last month's Listed Prix de Suresnes at Chantilly and returned to that Paris venue for Classic glory in Sunday's €1,500,000 G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club. Preceding his black-type breakthrough with impressive early-season wins at Cagnes-sur-Mer and Bordeaux-Le Bouscat, the 19-2 chance extended trainer Jean-Claude Rouget's record to six wins in the contest after defeating 17-10 favourite Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) by an impressive...

Handed his chance at black-type after impressive wins over 10 furlongs at Cagnes-sur-Mer in January and over 9 1/2 furlongs at Bordeaux-le-Bouscat last month, Ecuries Serge Stempniak's Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}--Absolutly Me {Fr}, by Anabaa Blue {Ire}) showed his Classic hand in Thursday's 10-furlong Listed Prix de Suresnes at Chantilly. Again exhibiting early keenness as Cristian Demuro sought cover towards the rear, the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Grand Prix de Paris entry was far from compromised by that initial expenditure of energy as he swamped the leaders...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a pair of TDN Rising Stars.  14.25 Parislongchamp, Cond, €28,000, 3yo, 2150mT SILVER CRACK (FR) (Cracksman {GB}) is one of two TDN Rising Stars along with Feed The Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}) to line up in this Prix de Ferrieres which could serve as a G1...

Providing it survives a morning inspection, with the ground currently heavy and more rain forecast, Leopardstown's intriguing Sunday fixture will see a trio of Classic trials flooded with a big Ballydoyle presence including the exciting 'TDN Rising Star' Alexandroupolis (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). Due to make his eagerly-awaited second career start in the G3 P W McGrath Memorial Ballysax S., the centre of much attention at Rosegreen oozed class when beating his talented stablemate and eventual G1 Criterium International runner-up Espionage (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the extended mile maiden at Galway...