By Tom Frary
3rd-NOT, £5,000, Mdn, 4-22, 3yo, 10f 50yT, 2:13.19, g/f.
CRYSTAL OCEAN (GB), c, 3, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Crystal Star (GB) (SW & GSP-Eng), by Mark of Esteem (Ire)
2nd Dam: Crystal Cavern, by Homage (GB)
3rd Dam: Krisalya (GB), by Kris (GB)
When Crystal Ocean made his debut in a seven-furlong maiden at Newbury in September, the antenna was already up as he is out of the Listed Radley S. winner and G3 Fred Darling S. runner-up Crystal Star who made a big name for herself at Southcourt Stud prior to dying after producing a colt foal by Frankel (GB) in 2015. He is named Crystal King (GB) and will sadly be the last offering of the classy producer, famed for the dual G2 Pride S. winner Crystal Capella (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) who also captured the G2 Princess of Wales's S., Hwt. Older Mare-Eng at 9 1/2-11f, MGSW-Eng, $550,532, and the GI Canadian International and G2 King Edward VII S. hero Hillstar (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Hwt. 3yo-Eng at 11-14f, GISW-Can & MGSW & G1SP-Eng, $1,221,978. Another of hers, the filly Crystal Zvezda (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), was the winner of the Listed Newbury Oaks Trial in May 2015, after which Sir Michael Stoute revealed that her breeder Renee Robeson who also died in January of that year had told him she was the best she had ever bred. She failed to live up to expectations, flopping when only 7-2 for the Oaks, because she had a tendency to race too freely but it may be that Crystal Star is in for some posthumous glory with this exciting prospect. Just run out of it when second on good-to-soft ground at Newbury under Ryan Moore, the bay never looked likely to go under this time with jockey Ted Durcan full of confidence throughout. Sent up to race in third from the outset, the homebred who surprisingly drifted to 7-4 and only occupied joint-favouritism at the off galloped strongly to the lead with two furlongs to race and was sent clear soon after. Showing a willing attitude as he continued to apply the pressure, he was eased considerably in the closing stages to register an authoritative two-length success from Okool (Fr) (Cape Cross {Ire}). “He's a horse we've always loved and Ryan [Moore] loved him when he ran very well last year,” his rider commented. “He's a huge, scopey horse and Sir Michael has been patient with him, but we expected him to win this. It rode like an above-average race and whatever happened here moving on he is a nice horse with a lovely attitude.” Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $6,147. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Sir Evelyn de Rothschild; B-Southcourt Stud (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute.
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