No Problems For Frankel’s Cracksman In the Ganay

[Wandering Eyes]

As far as group 1 reintroductions go, Sunday’s Prix Ganay was nothing other than straightforward for Anthony Oppenheimer’s G1 Champion S. hero Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) as he treated the ParisLongchamp crowd to an early-season treat. Positioned behind the Godolphin pacemaker Wren’s Day (Medaglia d’Oro) by Frankie Dettori, the 3-5 favourite avoided a tactical conundrum and although it took until just before the furlong pole to properly master that surprise package, he strode away in his Frankel-esque style to win by four lengths, with last year’s winner Cloth of Stars (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) finishing 3/4 of a length behind his little-known stablemate Wren’s Day, a 24-1 shot, in third.
For John Gosden, it was mission accomplished with a welcome minimum of fuss. “That was a perfect race with a good even regular pace and they did not just quicken at the end,” he said. “He quickened very nicely and it was a great race for his first start of the season. The plan is definitely to come here for the first Sunday in October and he will run again soon, possibly in the [G1] Tattersalls Gold Cup [at The Curragh] or the G1 Prince of Wales’s S. [at Royal Ascot]. He will have a summer freshener before the Arc.” Oppenheimer added, “The new Longchamp is a lovely place and we are very happy to be here. We’ll definitely come back for the Arc.”
Having provided Frankel’s take-off as a sire at Ascot six months ago, Cracksman could ensure the Juddmonte giant stays on an upward trajectory throughout 2018. His dam, the soft-ground loving Rhadegunda (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), was also responsible for the G3 Solario S. scorer Fantastic Moon (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and her 3-year-old Military Band (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) is held in some regard by Saeed bin Suroor despite finishing unplaced in Newmarket’s Wood Ditton S. earlier this month. The third dam is the 1000 Guineas and Sussex S. heroine On the House (Be My Guest), whose descendants include the G2 Royal Lodge S. winner Leo (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and who is related to the G1 Coronation S. winner Rebecca Sharp (GB) (Machiavellian) and these connections’s G1 Epsom Derby, G1 Eclipse S. and G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}).

Sunday, Longchamp, France
PRIX GANAY – PRIX DE L’INAUGURATION DE PARISLONGCHAMP-G1, €600,000, LCP, 4-29, 4yo/up, 10 1/2fT, 2:09.44, gd.
1–CRACKSMAN (GB), 128, 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. €342,840. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 9.5-11f, G1SW-Eng & G1SP-Ire, 8-6-1-1, €1,924,970. *1/2 to Fantastic Moon (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), GSW-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Wren’s Day, 128, c, 4, Medaglia d’Oro–Season’s Greetings (Ire), by Ezzoud (Ire). O-Godolphin SNC; B-Darley (KY); T-Andre Fabre. €137,160.
3–Cloth of Stars (Ire), 128, h, 5, Sea the Stars (Ire)–Strawberry Fledge, by Kingmambo. (400,000gns Ylg ’14 TATOCT). O-Godolphin SNC; B-Peter Anastasiou (IRE); T-Andre Fabre. €68,580.
Margins: 4, 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 0.60, 24.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: Rhododendron (Ire), Finche (GB), Wild Chief (Ger), Air Pilot (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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