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Cracksman camp dreaming big

Cracksman ridden by Frankie Dettori wins the Betway Great Voltigeur Stakes
Image: Cracksman ridden by Frankie Dettori

Owner Anthony Oppenheimer is excited to see what Cracksman can achieve during the rest of this season following his stunning reappearance at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.

John Gosden's star colt ended his three-year-old campaign as the highest-rated horse in Europe, a figure achieved as a result of his brilliant display on his final outing of the year in the Champion Stakes at Ascot in October.

The son of Frankel was the red-hot favourite to make a successful return in the Prix Ganay and picked up where he left off, showing off his devastating turn of foot in the hands of Frankie Dettori to run out a dominant winner.

Speaking on Monday afternoon, Oppenheimer told Press Association Sport: "It was so exciting and they tell me the last two furlongs were very fast indeed. It will be interesting to see what Timeform say, but I'm told he ran the last two furlongs like a sprinter."

Cracksman's next port of call is likely to be the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on May 27, before an intended appearance in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot.

His main midsummer target is the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes back at Ascot in July.

Oppenheimer added: "That (Tattersalls Gold Cup) is the plan and then hopefully Royal Ascot, but he won't go anywhere if the ground is firm. He can handle everything else. Good to firm or soft ground is not a problem for him.

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"I would love to win the King George."

Flat racing fans are already licking their lips at a potential clash between Cracksman and his stablemate Enable.

Enable won the King George and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe last season and if the pair do meet it is likely to be at either Ascot or in Paris.

Oppenheimer, however, does not want to look too far ahead.

He said: "As everyone knows you get shocks in racing. We saw that when Golden Horn was beaten in the Juddmonte International at York a couple of years ago. You're never invincible.

"I hope he'll go through the season and win some nice races.

"He's a good looking horse and he's become very popular, which helps.

"Hopefully there's a lot to look forward to."

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