Cracksman quanta fatica ! Ma vince di forza nella Coronation Cup G1. Spettacolo Salouen
Cracksman chins Salouen in exciting finish to extend unbeaten streak
Phew. Cracksman, sent off the 2-7 favourite, extended his unbeaten streak to five when getting up in the final strides to land the Group 1 Investec Coronation Cup for John Gosden and Frankie Dettori, enhancing the recent record of favourites in the contest to seven winners from the last eight runnings.
The Anthony Oppenheimer-owned son of Frankel was given a patient ride from Frankie Dettori, sitting in fifth of six and niggled along in the early stages behind a decent pace set by Salouen, and looked beaten with a furlong to run as the Sylvester Kirk outsider kept finding for pressure.
However, Dettori found the stands’ side rail and, under hands and heels in the final 100 yards, got the short-priced favourite up to the relief of connections.
Dettori said: “He was a bit sleepy today and he doesn’t really enjoy galloping downhill. When I wanted to close the gap I couldn’t and Silvestre [de Sousa] was still five lengths away. He worked hard for this one.
“We didn’t see the best of him today – he was never happy on the track – and we know that he’s a better horse than he showed.
“I didn’t know I was going to get there until the last five yards. It was a massive effort to make that ground up in such a short time. It was hard work but I’ll take it!
Gosden added: “It’s hard to pick up on this ground when you give one that much of a lead. He’s not in love with the track and he was better when he met the rising ground. It wasn’t ideal but he showed his class. Royal Ascot next.”
The Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes looks the next target for Cracksman. However, bookmakers were not impressed with the performance and pushed him out to as big as 7-4 (from 4-5) for the race.
Result, replay and analysis (fonte : TacingPost)
Cracksman In Coronation Cup Thriller
| 3rd at EPS, Gr. Stk, £420,000 | G1 Investec Coronation Cup | (12f 6y) | Winner: Cracksman (GB), c, 4 by Frankel (GB) |
Cracksman gets up in the last gasp | Racing Post
By Sean Cronin
Things may be getting so easy for Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) that he is taking it upon himself to make it more exciting and he overcame some self-made adversity on Friday to gain a last-gasp success in the G1 Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom. Never in his smooth rhythm, Anthony Oppenheimer’s G1 Champion S. and G1 Prix Ganay winner was several lengths off the pace set by Salouen (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) and being niggled at by Frankie Dettori despite his odds of 2-7. Taking all of the straight to get to that surprise package, the homebred managed it once he was switched to the stand’s rail in the final yards. At the line, there was a head between them as they pulled clear of Windstoss (Ger) (Shirocco {Ger}) in third. “He was a bit sleepy today and I couldn’t really lay up,” Dettori explained. “He doesn’t really enjoy running downhill and I wanted to close the gap but couldn’t. We had to work for this one, but he’s a better horse than he showed today and his class showed through. Any other horse would have downed tools.” John Gosden added, “It’s hard to pick them up when they are that far ahead on this ground and he was not in love with the track. He showed his class to get there in the end and we’ll look at Royal Ascot now [for the G1 Prince of Wales’s S.].”
CRACKSMAN (GB), 126, c, 4, by 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-Anthony Oppenheimer; B-Hascombe & Valiant Studs (GB); T-John Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £238,182. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 9.5-11f, G1SW-Fr & G1SP-Ire, 9-7-1-1, £1,894,584. *1/2 to Fantastic Moon (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), GSW-Eng. (fonte : TDN)
Forever Together breaks her maiden in impressive Investec Oaks display
fonte : RacingPost
Forever Puts It Together In The Oaks
| 5th at EPS, Gr. Stk, £500,000 | G1 Investec Oaks | (12f 6y) | Winner: Forever Together (Ire), f, 3 by Galileo (Ire) |
Forever Together and Donnacha O’Brien | racingfotos.com
By Tom Frary
Still a maiden entering Friday’s G1 Investec Oaks at Epsom and never nearer than 3 1/2 lengths away from the winner in three starts, Forever Together (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) left that tag at the start as she powered to a 4 1/2-length success from Wild Illusion (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) under the 2000 Guineas-winning jockey Donnacha O’Brien. Settled in a share of fourth early along with that 5-2 favourite, the 7-1 shot who had been second in the May 9 Listed Cheshire Oaks was brought stand’s side and had the Godolphin rival’s measure approaching the two-furlong pole. Staying on stoutly to the line, the bay provided her trainer with a seventh renewal in the process as stablemate Bye Bye Baby (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) trailed by another 3 1/2 lengths in third. “She was very impressive and I got a beautiful trip through the race,” her rider commented. “I got onto the rail and she was very genuine and galloped out to the line very well. She’s a proper staying filly and I should have been a lot closer at Chester. When the rain came I was a bit worried, but she handled it well. I didn’t expect her to do that, but it all played out perfectly and the stand’s rail seems the place to be. Dad’s an absolute genius and is able to do things with these horses I don’t understand. He tweaks little things and brings out massive improvement in them.”
Forever Together, who was becoming the first maiden to win this since Sun Princess (GB) in 1983, was fitting a now-familiar pattern for her stable as she learnt on each outing at two without the need to produce big figures before she was ready. Enjoying the ideal introduction under a hands-and-heels finish when fourth to Who’s Steph (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) over a mile at Naas in the first week of October, the bay was more aggressively ridden later that month when third to TDN Rising Star Contingent (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at that trip at Leopardstown. Beaten a combination of almost 14 lengths in those two juvenile starts, she re-emerged a different proposition but encountered trouble in running when 3 1/2 lengths second to Ryan Moore’s choice Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) at Chester’s May meeting which has become a tried-and-tested trialling ground for Ballydoyle’s Epsom candidates.
Keeping TDN Rising Star Wild Illusion company as Bye Bye Baby set a demanding tempo in the conditions with Magic Wand just ahead, Forever Together was allowed the stand’s rail as Ryan Moore glanced behind on the labouring Magic Wand after Tattenham Corner and that proved crucial as Wild Illusion was sent on into a brief lead. Once the eventual winner was past last year’s G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine with over two furlongs still to race, there was no fight left in her main rival and they finished strung out on the testing ground with four of the five O’Brien fillies in the first five places. Aidan O’Brien, who had missed Donnacha’s triumph on Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the Guineas, was on hand this time but was typically keen to attribute the credit elsewhere. “It is incredible–I’m so delighted and thankful for everyone,” he said. “She’s a staying filly that gets the trip very well. I’m over the moon and so happy for everyone.”
The winner is almost guaranteed to head to The Curragh for the Irish equivalent now according to her trainer. “I think it will be the [July 21] Irish Oaks next, we’ll see what the lads want to do, but that’s what you’d be thinking. She’d love the Curragh, you’d imagine. I was very happy with all the fillies really. Donnacha rides her in her work and rode her at Chester and she was the filly he wanted to ride, Ryan couldn’t get off his filly as he was delighted with her at Chester. It’s incredible what Donnacha is doing and we’re grateful to a lot of people who work hard every day, we really appreciate it. Donnacha has always been a very good rider, he’s very cool, he rides a lot of work at home, but he’s only 19. He’s a tall fella, we’re very grateful to him, he’s very confident, he’s been watching racing since he opened his eyes so tactically he’s very aware. He can make his own decisions and stand by them.”
Wild Illusion was unable to overcome the much-discussed one draw that Saxon Warrior also has in the Derby, but William Buick was not blaming that for the favourite’s defeat. “You do just have to use a bit going uphill from there, but it was only a nine-runner race and I certainly wouldn’t call it a coffin draw,” he said. “It’s really the ground that is the issue, as it has now changed a few things. I’m rely proud of her, as she’s grown up a lot and stayed on well. It’s very testing out there for those fillies and I had a fair fight with Donnacha in a straightforward race, so fair play to the winner. My filly stays a mile and a half and has a bit of zip and class, so there is a lot to look forward to.” Trainer Charlie Appleby added, “William said she was not comfortable coming down the hill. She came there to win her race, but the winner has outstayed us and was the better horse on the day.”
Forever Together wins no prizes in the naming department, being a full-sister to the operation’s G1 Fillies’ Mile heroine Together Forever (Ire) who was only seventh in this three years ago. Also a half to the speedier G1 Prix Jean Prat-winning sire Lord Shanakill (Speightstown), she is a granddaughter of an unraced sister to Shadwell’s magnificent G1 Irish 1000 Guineas-winning matriarch Al Bahathri (Blushing Groom {Fr}). This is the family of the GI Yellow Ribbon S. scorer Spanish Fern (El Gran Senor), G1 Gran Criterium winner Hearts of Fire (GB) (Firebreak {GB}), the GI Santa Anita H.-winning sire Heatseeker (Ire) (Giant’s Causeway) and MGSW sire Democratic Deficit (Ire) (Soviet Star). Under Al Bahathri is a lengthy list of high-class runners including the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Champion S.-winning sire Haafhd (GB) (Alhaarth {Ire}), the MGSW sire Munir (GB) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), Hong Kong Horse of the year Military Attack (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}), last year’s G1 Gold Cup hero Big Orange (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}), the G1 Hong Kong Vase hero Red Cadeaux (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) and even last year’s G3 Molecomb S.-winning sprinting juvenile Havana Grey (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}). Green Room was bought by Vimal and Gillian Khosla for $240,000 at the 2006 Keeneland January Sale and her last two daughters to go up for auction were this filly and the useful Signe (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). They fetched €2million in total at the Goffs Orby Sale and she has a yearling full-sister to Forever Together and Together Forever to come.
Friday, Epsom, Britain
INVESTEC OAKS-G1, £500,000, Epsom, 6-1, 3yo, f, 12f 6yT, 2:40.39, sf.
1–FOREVER TOGETHER (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Green Room, by Theatrical (Ire)
2nd Dam: Chain Fern, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
3rd Dam: Chain Store, by Nodouble
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€900,000 Ylg ’16 GOFORB). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Vimal & Gillian Khosla (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Donnacha O’Brien. £283,550. Lifetime Record: 4-1-1-1, $401,495. *Full to Together Forever (Ire), G1SW-Eng & SW-Ire, $318,729; and 1/2 to Lord Shanakill (Speightstown), G1SW-Fr, MGSW & MG1SP-Eng, $908,475. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.2–Wild Illusion (GB), 126, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Rumh (Ger), by Monsun (Ger). O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. £107,500.
3–Bye Bye Baby (Ire), 126, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Remember When (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Remember When Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. £53,800.
Margins: 4HF, 3HF, 3. Odds: 7.00, 2.50, 8.00.
Also Ran: Magic Wand (Ire), Flattering (Ire), Give And Take (GB), Perfect Clarity (GB), I Can Fly (GB), Ejtyah (GB).
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. (fonte : TDN)
