Crystal Ocean snapped up by Coolmore

Crystal Ocean has been bought by Coolmore and will stand under its National Hunt banner at The Beeches Stud.

The five-year-old suffered a career-ending injury last month, bowing out with an official rating of 127 after a succession of fine performances.

He won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot for trainer Sir Michael Stoute in June, before pushing Enable all the way in an epic battle for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes and finishing just a short head behind Japan in the Juddmonte International on what proved to be his final start.

He was retired with seven Group race victories to his name and was never out of the first three in his 17 career starts.

“If you look at his race record, it’s quite amazing. He has a lovely temperament and is a joy to train,” Stoute said.

The Beeches manager Bobby McCarthy has high hopes for Crystal Ocean at stud.

“We’ve been lucky enough to get some great horses over the years, but Crystal Ocean could be the best of the lot,” he said.

“He’s a great outcross option for the many good mares from the Sadler’s Wells line.”