MAN ON A MISSION
AIDAN O’BRIEN can paint the town red if
(nb) produces a masterpiece in the Hungerford Stakes (3.35, ITV4) at Newbury today.
NEWBURY RUNNERS: PAGE 4 CRACKSMAN is “going like a bomb” for his latest clash with Poet’s Word in Wednesday’s Juddmonte International at York.
John Gosden’s star slammed his old rival by seven lengths when landing the Champion Stakes at Ascot last October — but the Sir Michael Stoute trainee gained his revenge in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at the royal meeting in June.
Owner Anthony Oppenheimer feared the summer heatwave would rule Cracksman out of the 10-furlong Group 1 but he said last night: “They’ve had some rain and the ground is now ‘good, good to soft in places’.
“He’s going like a bomb and has been working on the grass in Newmarket, which he likes. “Poet’s Word is a very good horse, but we hope Cracksman can revert to his old form.” Cracksman (above) is a 7-1 chance with Betfair, who list Poet’s Word at 2-1 favourite.