Cracksman© Photo Healy Racing
John Gosden's brilliant colt Cracksman heads 13 acceptors for the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom on June 1st.
Since finishing a close third in last year's Derby on what was only his third career start, Cracksman has developed into Europe’s highest-rated middle-distance horse and signed off 2017 with an emphatic victory in the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot in October.
He made a flying start to his four-year-old campaign with an awesome display in the Prix Ganay at Longchamp last month.
Aidan O’Brien, a record eight-time winner of the Coronation Cup, has four acceptors, headed by Idaho and Cliffs of Moher. Both have victories to their credit this term.
Hydrangea and Yucatan are the Ballydoyle’s two other remaining entries.
Andre Fabre has left in Cloth Of Stars and Waldgeist as he seeks a seventh Coronation Cup triumph.
Markus Klug reports Windstoss on course to try to become the second German-trained winner after Boreal in 2002.
Klug said: "He was third on his first start of the year, but was carrying a penalty for his Group One wins and wasn’t 100 per cent fit for his seasonal return. He has come out of that race well and has improved for the run.
"Windstoss won the German Derby and the Preis Von Europa last season, but I am sure that he will be a better four-year-old.
"He has won on good ground and in soft conditions, so the ground should not be too important for him, apart from if it is very quick.
"We know that the Coronation Cup will be a very difficult race, but I think that we will give it a go."
Completing the list of acceptors are last year’s third Hawkbill, Poet’s Word, Barsanti, Red Galileo and Salouen.
