Ratings Update: Cracksman back with a bang

Flat update

Sandown hosted two good days of racing on Friday and Saturday, kicking off with a quality Flat card which featured the return of St Leger runner-up Crystal Ocean (remains on 123p) in the Gordon Richards Stakes.

It was a seasonal starting point for many, but it was Sir Michael Stoute’s four-year-old who came out on top, only by a matter of inches but the style was far less significant than the statement, out early with a big season ahead of him, and this was job done as far as a transition goes, ready to push through the doors that his three-year-old development opened up to him.

A potential collision course with the heavy-hitters Enable and Cracksman will be in store if Crystal Ocean wants to win an elite Group 1 in Europe, but before then he's got the Hardwicke to aim at, a race with his name written all over it.

Sevenna Star (up 9 lb to 107p) took the step up in grade in his stride as he beat Ispolini (up from 92p to 105) in the Classic Trial, showing different dimensions after his stroll at Windsor, really knuckling down when called upon, leaving it late but there was always a sense of inevitability that he'd get there. It is impressive what he has achieved in a short space of time this season, and the feeling is he will improve further once tacking a mile and a half, possibly a lot.

Hunting Horn (up 8 lb to 102p) caught the eye in third, last of all entering the straight and switched a few times when making his challenge, ending up on the far rail; he is another that will relish the step up to one and a half miles. It was Addeybb (up 5 lb to 125p) who stole the show, though, again showing a good turn of foot as he beat Stormy Atlantic (remains on 117) by two and three quarter lengths in the Mile.

RUKMomentOfTheDay: Looks like the Lockinge next for the fast-improving Addeybb after his win @Sandownpark

Watch all the finishes from today for free in our results and replay section ➡ https://t.co/7iJOPsvjqx pic.twitter.com/si4aMRenAs

— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) April 27, 2018

Addeybb is a fast-developing force, taking it up another level from the Lincoln, naturally a little slower on the uptake in this elevated company but bursting ahead a furlong out. The Lockinge is reportedly next on the agenda for him, a race which will tell us much more about his development, and whether he can go right to the top.

Crystal Hope (91p from 68p) put in a near-useful effort winning the mile and a quarter maiden, impressively over-powering a pair of useful winners. She hails from a good family – her dam is a half-sister to Crystal Ocean – and she has plenty of options open to her now, sure to stay at least a mile and a half.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Cracksman (remains on 136) returned to action in the first Group 1 of the season – the Prix Ganay at a newly redeveloped Longchamp. The track had last seen top-level action on the day Golden Horn won the 2015 Arc, and this race was graced with the presence of the same connections' Cracksman, last year's top middle-distance colt, who got his campaign off to the best possible start. He's sure to continue to be hard to beat this season, with the Arc back here in the autumn his long-term target.

Jumps update

It was the turn of the jumpers on Saturday and Top Notch (down 3 lb to 166) returned to form to complete a simple task in the Oaksey Chase, his main rival on form not at his best, but still winning in style. He's a likeable, straightforward sort and should continue to give a good account at all but the very highest level next season.

Stablemate and Champion Chaser Altior (remains on 179p) didn’t have to be at his best to maintain his unbeaten record in the Celebration Chase, typically jumping well and again strong at the finish. He had been an intended runner in the Melling Chase at Aintree and will be worth a try over further than two miles next season, perhaps even in the King George, allowing that his stable has several other candidates for that contest, though a clash with Footpad at two miles would also be a prospect to savour.

It was a mostly exposed field as usual for National Hunt racing's end-of-season feature, the bet365 Gold Cup, several of them probably over the top for the campaign as well, though there was little of the ordinary about Step Back's (up 6 lb to 146p) rout.

Step Back hits Gold standard to lay down #GrandNational marker at Sandown 👇https://t.co/rLqwCpTW1g pic.twitter.com/L775fVH92p

— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) April 28, 2018

He was a rare novice participant and a first winning one this decade, not that there was anything about his performance to indicate any lack of experience, giving a raft of seasoned stayers a thorough going over. He's got the tools to make it in open graded company, but the Ladbrokes Trophy will surely be his first port of call next season and, beyond that, he'd be some sight if getting to Aintree in one piece.

Punchestown’s five-day festival also concluded on Saturday, Saldier (147 from 131p) winning the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle to cap off a fantastic week for Willie Mullins who was crowned Ireland’s Champion Trainer for the 12th time after saddling a remarkable 18 winners during the week.

Other notable performances during the week included Un de Sceaux (up 2 lb to 168) who won the Boylesports Champion Chase from Douvan (165+ from 176+), a performance which suggests Un de Sceaux will be a force at the top level for a while yet, while Douvan is still a top-class chaser despite his training problems over the last 13 months.

Bellshill (up 4 lb to 168) gained swift compensation for his aberration in the Irish Grand National with a Punchestown Gold Cup winning performance that marks him down as a live Cheltenham Gold Cup contender for 2018/19, while Faugheen (up 5 lb to 164) showed he is still capable of high-class form when winning the Champion Stayers Hurdle.

He's back! What a performance - Faugheen wins the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle! @punchestownrace pic.twitter.com/xTmTjProZj

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 26, 2018

Faugheen will be best kept to three miles next season, though connections have not ruled out a novice chase campaign for him.

The Punchestown Champion Hurdle proved a hugely anticlimactic affair, with both Samcro (remains on 159p) and Melon (remains on 167) departing just as things were starting to come to the boil. Samcro’s flame is by no means diminished following this, still an extremely exciting prospect over both hurdles and – in due course - fences. In the end, Supasundae (up 2 lb to 162) landed his second Grade 1 success of the season; he should remain competitive next year, a high-class performer who is versatile regards trip.

***Keep an eye out for our timefigure review of Punchestown, published on Tuesday***