Prince of Wales's Stakes Preview: Tactics key for Cracksman

Finding chinks in the armour of Cracksman is not a particularly easy thing to do, though Salouen, his trainer Syvester Kirk and jockey Silvestre de Sousa, did just that when almost causing an upset of epic proportions in the Coronation Cup at Epsom at the start of this month.

"Got him!"

Cracksman leaves it very late in the Investec Coronation Cup #RUKMomentOfTheDay

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There is no Salouen in Wednesday’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, but there are lessons learned, and as a result tactics could prove crucial to the outcome of the 10-furlong Group 1.

In his nine-race career to date, Cracksman has recorded In-Play positional figures between 2 and 4, and – on every occasion – an ‘r’ (or the more emphatic ‘R’) symbol to denote that the horse has responded well to pressure.

As a result, it’s perhaps a slight surprise that connections are not employing a pacemaker in Wednesday’s race to ensure a strong pace, as his best performances have been when able to come off a strong gallop.

Epsom excuses

On this front, Cracksman was disappointing at Epsom not because of a slow gallop (indeed, Salouen set a strong pace under Silvestre de Sousa, 105.8% race finishing speed and 120 timefigure) but because he was never travelling after hitting his head coming out of the stalls.

Nonetheless, connections will have been pleased to see Eminent and Hawkbill – both of whom race prominently - declared for this race, each having had alternative options over the week.

Eminent’s wins last term included the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville (made all, by three lengths from Salouen) as well as finishing a place behind Cracksman when one and a quarter lengths fourth in the Derby at Epsom. He was disappointing when a beaten favourite in the Huxley Stakes at Chester on his return, but was subsequently found to have a fibrillating heart.

Appleby ace

Hawkbill is a high-class performer who has won nearly half of his 21 starts. He proved better than ever at Meydan this March, winning both starts, including the Dubai Sheema Classic (by three lengths from Poet's Word), but needs to bounce back from a poor effort when trailing in last but one in the Coronation Cup last time. He won the 2016 Tercentenary Stakes (now Hampton Court Stakes) at this meeting, though, and it would be no surprise to see a better effort here.

The other leading contender is Poet’s Word. He has never run at this meeting before, but wasn’t far off his peak when doing best of those behind Cracksman in the Champion Stakes here last season. He was a good three lengths second to Hawkbill in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan on his return in March and made the most of a good opportunity when winning the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown last month.

Poet's Word takes victory in the Matchbook Brigadier Gerard Stakes!

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Hold-up performers

Of the others, French contender Royal Julius came from off the pace when winning the Premio Presidente della Repubblica at Rome last time by four lengths. His very best form has come over shorter than this trip and it’s unlikely that he – or Desert Encounter and Cliffs of Moher who complete the line-up – will prove good enough if they adopt their normal tactics and try to come from further back than Cracksman.

Desert Encounter’s best effort last season came when three and a half lengths third to Ulysses in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown. He left a below-par run in the Sheema Classic behind when four and a half lengths third to Poet's Word in the Brigadier Gerard last time and should run his race again.

Cliffs of Moher actually finished ahead of Cracksman when second in last year’s Derby but failed to build on that in form terms after, despite hitting the frame in both the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown and Juddmonte International at York. He was unable to reel in his well-ridden stablemate Lancaster Bomber when beaten two lengths in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh last time.

Conclusion

Though Hawkbill and Eminent both like to race prominently, there is no guarantee that this will be run at a strong gallop. As a result, Cracksman – who is rated 136 by Timeform, the same as speedster Battaash (at the time of writing, anyway) - may well be ridden closer to the pace than has sometimes been the case.

Four favourites have justified the odds in the last decade, but the only three to be sent off at odds-on in that time frame were all beaten, including the great Treve, who was only third behind the John Gosden-trained The Fugue in 2014.

Assuming Frankie Dettori has his wits about him, though, fellow Clarehaven Stables resident Cracksman should buck that trend.