Crystal Ocean On Top In the Prince of Wales's

When it comes to Crystal Ocean (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), Sir Michael Stoute must have been in possession of a crystal ball as he charted a path towards Wednesday's G1 Prince of Wales's S. with Sir Evelyn de Rothschild's 'TDN Rising Star'. After following up his 2018 win in Newbury's G3 Aston Park S. in workmanlike fashion May 18, the 5-year-old had been pointed to this prize by the reigning monarch of the training ranks at this meeting, but it was a challenge at the time to envisage a first Group 1 triumph resulting from that decision. With the recent extraction of Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) from the equation combining with the continuous drenching received by the hallowed venue, the stars aligned for the ultra-consistent homebred and what Stoute saw in his famed mind's eye a month ago became reality in the Ascot gloom.

Using Ballydoyle's pacemaker Hunting Horn (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) as his own, Frankie Dettori thrust the 3-1 second favourite into the lead before the two-furlong pole. Despite running around in the clear, Crystal Ocean safely held the 13-8 favourite Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) en route to a 1 1/4-length verdict over the filly to gift an 80th Royal winner to his trainer.

“He's a high-class horse and I'm delighted he's won his Group 1,” Stoute said. “He's a very admirable racehorse and this is a result of great team work.”

Since earning 'Rising Star' status when breaking his maiden on his second start, Crystal Ocean had raced over this trip on four occasions, with back-to-back wins in Sandown's G3 Gordon Richards S. alongside a six-lengths second to Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Champion S. at this course in October. Shortly before that, he tried to give eight pounds to Enable and was beaten a respectable 3 1/2 lengths when second in the G3 September S. over his preferred mile-and-a-half trip on Kempton's Polytrack. That was his first outing since losing out by a neck to stablemate Poet's Word (Ire) (Poet's Voice {GB}) in an edition of the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. which the trainer will want to keep framed in his memory until the end of his days.

In the same way that Ryan Moore committed turning into the straight in the G2 Hardwicke S. here 12 months ago, Dettori was intent on making sure that Magical and the struggling Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) would have hard labour to undertake just to get alongside. Once Hunting Horn was dispensed with, Crystal Ocean kept putting in his top effort at his rider's command and while Ryan Moore looked at one point poised to come and take the horse he has himself ridden on seven occasions, it was not to be this time for Ballydoyle.

“This horse is a heavyweight of the sport,” Dettori said. “He never runs a bad race. I was worried about the ground, as his best form is on firm, but he's very tough. I got very little kickback, as I was in the first two. The rain's on top of the ground, but it's not very pleasant out there. I stayed wide for the fresh ground, I knew he'd stay well so I kicked early and the rest is history.”

Stoute added, “If you look at his record, it's quite amazing. It's great for the [Southcourt] stud to have a Group 1 horse. I thought he ran very well in the Champion S. last year. He ran better than I thought. He may be better at a mile and a half, but he's certainly a pretty good horse at a mile and a quarter and he's proved that today.”

Aidan O'Brien said of Magical, who had initially been due to take a summer break after her success in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, “I'm very happy with the filly and she ran well. She might come back for the [July 27 G1] King George or maybe the [July 6 G1] Eclipse [at Sandown].”

Of Waldgeist, who was visibly floundering in the ground some way out, trainer Andre Fabre said, “It was a good run and he might come back for the King George. I was not concerned about the ground, as he has won on soft ground before.”

The recent ante-post favourite Sea of Class (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) was almost withdrawn by William Haggas due to the change in the going and was ridden with consideration by James Doyle in fifth.

The jockey said: “I think we learned a lot there today, as she clearly dislikes really deep ground like it is out there. Trying to take the positives, the filly felt great and she travelled really well. We were just a bit too far back, but the main thing is it was nice to get a run in and start her off.”

Haggas added, “I'm so angry with myself for running her and subjecting her to that awful weather and ground. As soon as I made the decision to run her, it then bucketed down with rain for an hour. It was a mistake to run her and occasionally we make them. The plan was to go to the King George, so we will see, but she could still go there.”

Pedigree Notes:

After a dynamic 4-year-old campaign, Crystal Ocean had already trumped his high-class half-siblings Hillstar (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), winner of the GI Canadian International, and Crystal Capella (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) who took three Group 2 races, including the Princess of Wales's S. against the colts. Now without doubt, Crystal Ocean is the best of a quartet of black-type winners produced by Southcourt's Listed Radley S. winner and G3 Fred Darling S.-placed Crystal Star (GB) (Mark of Esteem {Ire}), their invaluable broodmare who died producing a colt by Frankel (GB) who turned out to be the stable's twice-winning 4-year-old Crystal King (GB). Crystal Star is kin to the Listed Aphrodite S. winner Waila (GB) (Notnowcato (GB), while the third dam Krisalya (GB) (Kris {GB}) is a half-sister to the G1 Prix d'Ispahan hero Sasuru (GB) (Most Welcome {GB}), who produced G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches victress Rose Gypsy (GB) to a mating with Cape Cross' sire Green Desert. This is also the family of the GI Gamely S. winner Tuscan Evening (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}).

Wednesday, Royal Ascot, Britain
PRINCE OF WALES'S S.-G1, £750,000, Ascot, 6-19, 4yo/up, 9f 212yT, 2:10.25, sf.
1–CRYSTAL OCEAN (GB), 126, h, 5, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Crystal Star (GB) (SW & GSP-Eng), by Mark of Esteem (Ire)
2nd Dam: Crystal Cavern, by Be My Guest
3rd Dam: Krisalya (GB), by Kris (GB)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. 'TDN Rising Star' O-Sir Evelyn De Rothschild; B-Southcourt Stud (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £425,325. Lifetime Record: 15-8-5-2, $2,036,353. *1/2 to Hillstar (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Hwt. 3yo-Eng at 11-14f, GISW-Can, MGSW & G1SP-Eng, $1,221,978; Crystal Capella (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), Hwt. Older Mare-Eng at 9.5-11f & MGSW-Eng, $550,532; and Crystal Zvezda (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), SW-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Magical (Ire), 123, f, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Halfway To Heaven (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £161,250.
3–Waldgeist (GB), 126, h, 5, Galileo (Ire)–Waldlerche (GB), by Monsun (Ger). 'TDN Rising Star' O-Gestut Ammerland & Newsells Park; B-The Waldlerche Partnership (GB); T-Andre Fabre. £80,700.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3 1/4, 2. Odds: 3.00, 1.60, 4.00.
Also Ran: Hunting Horn (Ire), Sea of Class (Ire), Deirdre (Jpn), Zabeel Prince (Ire), Desert Encounter (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.