Crystal Ocean to The Beeches

Crystal Ocean, the joint-highest rated horse in Europe on Racing Post Ratings, has been purchased by Coolmore and will stand under the National Hunt banner at The Beeches Stud for 2020.

The best son of Sea The Stars to date, he won 7 Group races at 3, 4 and 5 years including the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes over ten furlongs at Royal Ascot this year where he defeated triple Group 1 winner Magical. Racing in the colours of Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, he also finished second in five Group 1 races and made Enable battle like never before when running her to a neck in the King George, the pair seven lengths clear of their nine rivals. In all Crystal Ocean ran a total of 17 times and never finished out of the first three.

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

Bred by his owner’s Southcourt Stud, Crystal Ocean is out of the Listed winning mare Crystal Star who has produced four Group or Stakes winners including two Group 1 winners.

“We’ve been lucky enough to get some great horses over the years, but Crystal Ocean could be the best of the lot,” said The Beeches manager Bobby McCarthy. “He’s a great outcross option for the many good mares from the Sadler’s Wells line.”