Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
The FAB FOUR
Gosden quartet 25-1 to ‘beat all’ on stellar Champions Day
BOOKIES fear a Champions Day wipe-out by trainer John Gosden at Ascot today.
Gosden (below) saddles four hotpots – Stradivarius (5-6), Lah Ti Dar (11-8), Roaring Lion (2-1) and Cracksman (5-6) – on the glittering £4.5million card.
Betfair offer 25-1 about a victory for the quartet and the firm’s Barry Orr said: “John Gosden has been the go-to guy for punters all season – and he hasn’t let them down.
“It will be a wipe-out if all four win today.”
CRACKSMAN has the ideal conditions to end his career in style by repeating last year’s triumph in the Champion Stakes (3.50) at Ascot.
Heavy rain in Royal Berkshire is an annoyance to the organisers of British racing’s big-money finale, but it has arrived just in time for connections of Cracksman, who walloped Poet’s Word by seven lengths in the 10-furlong feature 12 months ago.
The hottest summer since 1976 has made life difficult for the John Gosden-trained son of Frankel, winner of the top-level Prix Ganay at Longchamp in April and Coronation Cup at
Epsom in June – but off games since his defeat by Poet’s Word on quick ground in Royal Ascot’s Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.
There will be plenty of juice underfoot this afternoon, however, and, with Gosden confident the fitting of blinkers will aid Cracksman’s concentration, Frankie Dettori’s mount should bring his class to bear on his seven rivals.
On what promises to be a rewarding afternoon for Gosden and LAH TI DAR Dettori, will take plenty of beating in the Fillies & Mares Stakes (2.40).
Forced by illness to miss the Oaks at Epsom in June, Lah Ti Dar – successful at Newbury and Newmarket in the spring – returned to action with a 10-length supremacy in the Listed Galtres Stakes at York in August.
She found Kew Gardens too strong when the 7-4 favourite for the St Leger at
Doncaster last time but, back in distance and against her own gender, should resume winning ways.
Gosden and Dettori open proceedings by teaming up with STRADIVARIUS in the Long Distance Cup (1.25).
The four-year-old gained Group 1 triumphs in the Gold Cup at Ascot and Goodwood Cup en route to lifting the inaugural Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers Million, and is expected to end a flawless campaign in style. Gosden’s Roaring Lion heads the market for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (3.15) but preference ADDEYBB is for (left). He laughed at a mark of 99 in the Lincoln at Doncaster in March before stepping up in class to lift the bet365 Mile at Sandown the following month.
Fast ground was against the William Haggas trainee when he came eighth of 14 to Rhododendron in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in May, but this playing surface will be much more to his liking.
Back to his best with a half-length margin over Brando in the Sprint THE Cup at Haydock six weeks ago, TIN MAN is the one to be on in the Sprint Stakes (2.00).
James Fanshawe’s speedster boasts three wins from seven attempts over this course and distance – including this contest in 2016 – and another good show is on the cards.
The Balmoral Handicap (4.30) can ZWAYYAN, go to bottom weight whose jockey Jason Watson will have reason to celebrate whatever the outcome – he will collect the champion apprentice trophy for 2018.