Soft ground for Cracksman at Ascot

Robert Havlin believes Cracksman will appreciate the softer ground at Royal Ascot.

Cracksman will get conditions to suit when he attempts back-to-back wins in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Robert Havlin, a key part of the John Gosden stable, believes it will take a good horse to stop Cracksman becoming the first horse since Twice Over in 2009 and 2010 to register the double.

The Anthony Oppenheimer-owned four-year-old has missed both the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and Juddmonte International because of fast ground, and has not run since finishing second to Poet’s Word in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at the Royal meeting in June.

“He loves it round there and it looks like he is going to get his soft ground on Saturday,” Havlin said.

“I rode him this morning and he is bouncing. He worked well on Saturday and hopefully everything should be in his favour.

“He was the highest-rated horse in Europe after his win in it last year and if he brings his A-game he will be pretty difficult to beat.

“It’s going to be a strong race, but we’ve been waiting for this sort of ground. We’ve freshened him up, so he goes there a fresh horse and we are expecting a big run.

“As it is his last race, it would be nice for him to go out on a high.”

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