Cracksman The Prodigal Son?

It would have been disappointing had Saturday's G1 Qipco Champion S. at Ascot not contained a member of the first crop of Frankel (GB), and in Cracksman (GB) the Juddmonte giant has a genuine candidate for delivering his first European Group 1 victory in the race that sealed his immortality and the reputation of his brother Noble Mission (GB). For so long connections were averse to testing him in this type of scenario at three, but such has been the verve he has displayed since his summer break he has forced their hand. Frankel-like in his powerful galloping display in the G2 Great Voltigeur at York on Aug. 23, Anthony Oppenheimer's imposing specimen began to give those around him a headache as they reconsidered a seemingly concrete plan to halt his program there. If they needed further proof that he had turned himself inside out since his third in the G1 Epsom Derby June 3 and second in the Irish equivalent at The Curragh July 1, he provided it with another command performance in the G2 Prix Niel at Chantilly on Sept. 10. Now that the rain has turned the going soft, the sense that this is going to be his day is growing stronger by the minute.

John Gosden's commitment to running despite his owner-breeder's cautious approach speaks volumes, but it is worth noting that Cracksman has yet to tackle a single older horse in his career so far. A strong-staying type, he is also reverting to this trip for the first time since winning the Epsom Derby Trial on Apr. 26, but his trainer said he believes he can come through.

“He has won over mile and a quarter and is bred to be more of a mile to a mile-and-a-quarter horse,” he said. “I think he has got the pace for it, but you would not want a falsely-run race. He's a bigger, stronger horse than he was in the spring and now weighs 17 kilograms more than when he went to Epsom in April. He's done nothing but improve all year, so it would seem rather silly to bypass a race of this importance.”

Strength in depth among the older horses is surprisingly thin on the ground, with Saeed Suhail's Poet's Word (Ire) (Poet's Voice {GB}) at least proven on this surface and on an upward curve after finishing runner-up in the G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown on Sept. 9. Previously, he had handled deep ground with aplomb when taking the 12-furlong Aug. 4 G3 Glorious S. at Goodwood's main meeting that was anything but. There has been a distinct air of confidence emanating from Freemason Lodge in recent days, but Sir Michael Stoute was striking a note of caution as he prepared for another big day in a memorable 2017 season. “He will handle it with a bit of cut, but I don't want it too soft,” he said. “It was his best effort ever in Ireland. I was thrilled with him and he has really progressed.”

Without a win in this, Aidan O'Brien saddles the formidable Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) as he bids to put that right but soft ground has never been his bag and he was unable to get going in it when last seen finishing a distant fourth in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. here on July 29. His prior defeat of Decorated Knight (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Ulysses (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Prince of Wales's S. over this course and distance on June 21 reads very well in light of subsequent events, but came on fast ground. 'TDN Rising Star' Cliffs of Moher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is another who does not need testing ground, but he was coming with a serious challenge when badly hampered when sixth in the Irish Champion and has the edge on Cracksman on their Epsom Derby form. Soft going would appear to shuffle both down the pecking order here, but after last weekend's remarkable one-two-three-four in the Dewhurst it would be churlish to overlook the Ballydoyle challenge with two class acts. O'Brien said, “Highland Reel is in good form. He's had a little break since the King George and seems in good form. It was very soft in the King George and hopefully it's not too bad this time. Cliffs of Moher just got caught in traffic at Leopardstown, but is in good form.”