Ocean Jewel (Ire)

Wednesday's Royal Ascot cards were finalised on Monday, with the feature G1 Prince of Wales's S. made up of 10 runners but not, as expected, White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}). The G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup winner's absence is one less obstacle for Ballydoyle's star colt of 2023, Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), with Cheveley Park Stud's Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Yeguada Centurion's Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) looking the chief threats to the Ballydoyle runner. Blue Rose Cen is joined by compatriots Horizon Dore (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}),...

Reappearing for the first time since finishing eighth in the G1 Matron S. at Leopardstown in September, Al Shira'aa Farms' Ocean Jewel (Ire) (Sioux Nation) showed she is a bright prospect for 2024 by taking Sunday's G2 Lanwades Stud S. at The Curragh. Held up halfway down the field early by Billy Lee, the Willie McCreery-trained 8-1 shot swooped on the front a furlong from home in this contest registered as the Ridgewood Pearl and readily asserted for a 1 1/4-length success from Goldana (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}). The even-money...

Underlining the strength of the speedier 3-year-olds this year, Al Shira'aa Farms' Ocean Jewel (Ire) (Sioux Nation) passed a stern test against the older brigade on Thursday as she captured Leopardstown's G3 TRI Equestrian Ballycorus S. Stretching out to seven furlongs, having finished third behind The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Ocean Quest (Ire) (Sioux Nation) in the G3 Lacken S. over six at Naas last month, the Willie McCreery-trained half-sister to the 1000 Guineas heroine Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) was able to use her sprinting prowess to...