Blueblood Stallion Wins G1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes

Tara Madgwick - Thursday June 20
Blueblood Sea the Stars stallion Crystal Ocean made light of the pouring rain at Royal Ascot overnight to score his first Group I win in in the Prince of Wales's Stakes (1m2f).

Crystal Ocean - image Royal Ascot TwitterTrained by Sir Michael Stoute for his owner breeder Sir Evelyn de Rothscild, Crystal Ocean scored a length and a quarter win over Coolmore's star Galileo mare Magical, who was gallant in defeat as the favourite.

Winner of the Group II Hardwicke Stakes at this meeting last year, the five year-old was Group I placed twice last year and was in hot form coming into this race with Group wins at his first two runs back this year.

"He was very tough," said winning rider Frankie Dettori. "I decided I had to kick around the turn and get them all at it. He responded well and kept going, so I was sure it would take a good one to get past me."

Owner Sir Evelyn de Rothschild is keen that his homebred hero will get the chance to sire progeny of his own.

"When you look at his record he has been quite amazing," said De Rothschild. "I hope someone at some point will take him to a stud somewhere. I want to race him for the whole of this year and then I'll see if someone gets excited."

Crystal Ocean has the overall record of eight wins and seven placings from 15 starts and is a sibling to Group I winner Hillstar, Group II winner Crystal Capella and stakes-winner Crystal Zvezda from blue hen stakes-winner Crystal Star.

Crystal Ocean is the 11th Group I winner for Galileo's half-brother Sea the Stars, who was making news in Australia earlier this week when one of his daughters topped the broodmare section of the Inglis Great Southern Sale. Read about Queen of the World here.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Friday August 22
Here is the full list of 25 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Top Filly Beats Top Colt in G1 Prix Morny
The Group I Prix Morny (1200m) at Deauville overnight produced a mightly clash between unbeaten Starspangled banner colt Gstaad and unbeaten filly Venetian Sun with the filly prevailing, although Starspangledbanner got some consolation with a new G3 winning 2YO at Goodwood.
Sires With Winners - Saturday August 23
Here is the full list of 106 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Second Stakes-winner for Palace Pier
Kingman’s champion son Palace Pier (GB) only shuttled for one season to Darley Australia with his first 2YO’s to race here this season and in Europe he’s doing a pretty good job with his second stakes-winner emerging overnight at York.
Wootton Bassett Juvenile G2 Double
Wootton Bassett (GB) featured in Ireland overnight at The Curragh with two stakes-winning juveniles, Constitution River taking out the the Group II Futurity (7f), while the Group II Debutante (7f) went to the filly Composing, who comes from the family of Amelia’s Jewel.
Inglis Ready2Race Sale Now Online
The strongest collection of sire power ever assembled for an Australian 2YO Sale will be offered at the Inglis Ready2Race Sale, for which the catalogue is now available online.
€1.85million Sale-Topping Frankel Filly Now Triple G1 Oaks Winner for Coolmore
Already a winner of the Group I Epsom Oaks and Irish Oaks, expensive blueblood Frankel filly made it a treble of G1 Oaks races when landing the Group I Yorkshire Oaks (1m4f) overnight.
Idyllic Prince Stakes - Phanta Leads a Sweet Trifecta for Gingerbread Man
Yarradale Stud's senior stallion Gingerbread Man achieved a rare career high for any sire when the son of Shamardal provided the trifecta in Saturday's Listed Idyllic Prince Stakes over 1300m at Belmont Park.
First Stakes Success For Cafe Millenium
While having just turned 5, former Sydneysider Cafe Millenium (Not A Single Doubt), who now calls Lindsay Park home, broke through for his first black type victory on Saturday, winning the Listed SAJC Leon Macdonald Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville in impressive fashion.
Hard To Cross swoops to Valley win
Six-year-old gelding Hard To Cross was aided by the three-kilo claim of Rose Hammond as the Kiwi bred landed his first victory of the preparation when landing the Ascend Sales Trophies Handicap (1523m).