Cracksman’s absence from the Arc field may have caused huge debate but the Frankel colt made up for not appearing at Chantilly with a mind-blowing performance to win the Champion Stakes in a common canter.

Providing Frankie Dettori and John Gosden with a double on the day following Persuasive’s QEII victory, Anthony Oppenheimer’s three-year-old settled in fourth for most of the journey before striding clear after Dettori gave him the office three furlongs from home.

Cracksman, who had placed in two Derbys and won the Great Voltigeur and Prix Niel over 1m4f this season, galloped on relentlessly for a seven-length success over Poet’s Word.

Success Days led the field at an even pace from the outset, and Highland Reel, who was bidding to take Aidan O’Brien past Bobby Frankel’s record of 25 top-level victories in a year, charted a wider course under the trees, but ultimately the enterprising manoeuvre made little difference.

The win got hearts racing for a potential clash with Gosden’s flying filly Enable next season. The trainer, who houses two of the most talented Flat horses in training, said: “There’s not much between Cracksman and Enable. He’s a classy horse. We deliberately went off the rail in the straight and he kept finding.”

Dettori, who was winning his first Champion Stakes, added: “He put a good field to bed in the manner of a champion. He has been working so sweetly and it’s fantastic. He’s a true champion and he deserves it – there’s a lot more to come from him.”

Paddy Power now make Cracksman a 4-1 chance (from 12-1) for next year’s Arc for which his stablemate Enable is the 5-2 favourite to emulate Treve in winning consecutive Arcs.

Cracksman was Frankel’s first European Group 1 winner.

fonte : RacingPost