Get on board this Cracker
CLONDAW CRACKER can be forgiven a poor show last time out, when he pulled up behind Scotchtown at Wetherby last October having burst blood vessels.
Trainer Neil Mulholland has given the Court Cave gelding more than enough time to get over the problem and set about confirming his crystal-clear potential.
The six-year-old started his career with a two-and-ahalf-length point win from Bel Sas, a rival that has since won twice and been second four times for Willie Mullins.
A year ago, Clondaw Cracker won a bumper at Warwick by three-quarters-of-a-length from Asum. The third, Brio Conti, now boasts a mark of 133.
Gregarious is firmly on the up for Lucy Wadham and may well be up to completing a hat- trick, after two fine wins at Sandown from Percy Street and Deauville Crystal.
The half- length verdict over Deauville Crystal is particularly compelling evidence, since the runner-up has won twice at Warwick and Newbury in the last week.
The handicapper will surely intervene in time, but for now, Gregarious has only been raised 3lb, and today’s Ascot juvenile hurdle may prove to be a gift.
Ardmayle looks to be ahead of the handicapper and he will need to be, given that he goes to post 3lb wrong, in search of a hattrick off a mark of 124.
However, with the excellent Gavin Sheehan aboard, he’ll go well.