Cracksman (horse)

On his racecourse debut, Cracksman started at odds of 9/2 in a ten-runner maiden race over one mile at Newmarket Racecourse on 19 October. Ridden by Robert Havlin he raced towards the rear of the ten-runner field before taking the lead inside the final furlong and winning by one and a quarter lengths from the Godolphin runner Wild Tempest.[4]

Cracksman began his second season in the Investec Derby Trial over ten furlongs at Epsom Racecourse on 26 April, a race in which he was ridden for the first time by Frankie Dettori. Starting the 4/6 favourite against seven opponents he started poorly and then pulled hard before being settled by Dettori in third place. After struggling to obtain a clear run early in the straight and then finished strongly to catch the Mark Johnston-trained Permian on the line and win by a short head.[5] The form of the race was subsequently boosted when Permian won the Dante Stakes at York Racecourse in May.

Despite never having previously contested, let alone won a group race, Cracksman was regarded as a leading contender for the Epsom Derby over one and a half miles at Epsom on 3 June and was made the 7/2 favourite against eighteen opponents. Ridden by Dettori he tracked the leaders, turned into the straight in fifth and took the lead approaching the final furlong. He kept on well but was overtaken in the closing stages and finished third, beaten three quarters of a length and a neck by Wings of Eagles and Cliffs of Moher. On 1 July at the Curragh he faced Wings of Eagles again in the Irish Derby, a race which also attracted the leading French colt Waldgeist. After being restrained in the early stages he made good progress in the straight but failed by a neck to overhaul the front-running Capri with the Derby winner a short head away in third.

At York on 23 August Cracksman was made 4/6 favourite for the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes. The "Voltigeur" is traditionally regarded as a trial race for the St Leger, but Cracksman had never been entered for the Doncaster classic. With Dettori in the saddle he went to the front early in the straight and steadily increased his advantage to come home six lengths clear of the Chester Vase winner Venice Beach.[6] After the race the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the Champion Stakes were mentioned as future targets but Gosden emphasised that the colt was still maturing and that "his main programme is next year".[7]

On 10 September Cracksman was sent to France for the Prix Niel (a recognised trial race for the Arc de Triomphe) over 2400 metres in which he faced four opponents including Finche (Prix Eugène Adam) and Ice Breeze (Prix Hocquart). Starting the odds-on favourite he took the lead in the straight and drew away to win "comfortably" by three and a half lengths from Avilius.[8] Oppenheimer opted not to run his colt in the Arc citing the unsuitability of the Chantilly track and his desire to save Cracksman for a four-year-old campaign.[9]

On 21 October Cracksman was brought back in distance and was matched against older horses for the first time in the Champion Stakes over ten furlongs at Ascot Racecourse. With Dettori again in the saddle he was made the 13/8 favourite in a ten-runner field which included Highland Reel, Cliffs of Moher, Barney Roy, Brametot (Prix du Jockey Club), Poet's Word and Recoletos (Prix Greffulhe). After racing in fourth place until the final turn, Cracksman went to the front early in the straight and drew away from his opponents to win in "impressive" style by seven lengths from Poet's Word.[10] Gosden commented "He's improved through the year. He's like a fighter weighing more now, if he started as a middleweight, he's now a light-heavyweight. He got in a dreadful muddle coming down to Tattenham Corner in the Derby, but he's learning to race. He's handled a mile-and-a-quarter well today, he's versatile now".[11] Dettori said "That was amazing. It's my first Champion Stakes and he put a good field to bed in the manner of a champion. It's a fantastic feeling. I glanced at the big screen and he was clear. I've not got words to describe it, brilliant. He's been given time to develop and that's what you've got now. He's been working so sweetly and has got the success he deserved."[12]

Cracksman began his third campaign in the Prix Ganay at the newly re-opened Longchamp Racecourse on 29 April and stated 3/5 favourite against six opponents including Cloth of Stars and Rhododendron. After racing in second place for most of the way he was sent to the front by Dettori 200 metres from the finish and drew away to win "readily" by four lengths from Wren's Day.[13] After the race Gosden said Frankie was pleased with him... he got very low and stretched, which is a great thing to see in a horse. The great thing is he's won today on good, and perhaps slightly on the faster side of good, so he's versatile. Mentally I was impressed with just how relaxed and professional he is."[14]

On 1 June at Epsom Cracksman started the 2/7 favourite for the Coronation Cup with the best-fancied of his five opponents being Hawkbill and Idaho. Cracksman raced towards the rear until he began to make progress in the straight but he had to be driven hard by Dettori to get the better of the front-running outsider Salouen and it was only in the final strides that he gained the advantage to win by a head.[15] Gosden initially accounted for the somewhat disappointing performance by saying that Cracksman had failed to cope with the downhill section of the course but later eplained that the colt had lunged forward in the starting stalls, struck his head hard against the framework and "must have run the race in a complete daze".[16] At Royal Ascot nineteen days later the colt tarted 2/5 favourite against five opponents for the Prince of Wales's Stakes over ten furlongs. He was never going well and although he took the lead in the straight he was soon overtaken and beaten two and a quarter lengths into second by Poet's Word. Gosden later suggested that the horse was distracted by the fillies returning to the paddock from the previous race commenting "he wasn't quite mentally with us; he got very interested in the girls and obviously caught a little whiff of them and was rather keener to get over the hedge and say hello to them".[17]

After an absence of four months Cracksman returned and attempted to repeat his 2017 success in the Champion Stakes on 20 October a race in which he was equipped with blinkers for the first time. His seven opponents were Crystal Ocean (Hardwicke Stakes), Capri, Monarchs Glen (Darley Stakes), Rhododendron, Verbal Dexterity (National Stakes), Maverick Wave and the Czech-trained Subway Dancer. After being settled in fourth place he took the lead approaching the last quarter mile and drew right away to win by six lengths from Crystal Ocean, with Dettori waving his whip to the crowd in celebration.[18] Gosden commented "I'm a great believer in putting a semi-blinker on as I've had a lot of luck with it down the years and it's a little trick I learned in America. He is a hugely talented horse and he showed it again today and I'm sure he will be off to stud now" while Frankie Dettori said "All the lights were on and when I kicked he went 'whoosh'. It was brilliant. He did it all on his own. The blinkers worked and he was concentrating. You know when you are going twice as fast as the others, and I could celebrate".[19]