Crystal Ocean Injured, Retired

[Wandering Eyes]

G1 Prince of Wales’s S. winner Crystal Ocean (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}-Crystal Star {GB}, by Mark of Esteem {Ire})) suffered a career-ending injury on the gallops on Thursday morning but has successfully come through surgery. The news was first reported by Racing Post.

Peter Stanley, spokesman for owner-breeder Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, told Racing Post, “Crystal Ocean has had two screws inserted in a hind cannon bone and has come through the surgery successfully. It should in no way affect his future stud career.”

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Crystal Ocean never finished worse than third in 17 career starts. Breaking his maiden on his second start and his seasonal debut at three, Crystal Ocean made steady progress throughout the year, placing in a pair of Group 3s before winning the G3 Gordon S. and finishing second to Capri (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 St Leger. He won three straight races to begin his 4-year-old campaign in 2018-the G3 Gordon Richards S., the G3 Al Rayyan S. and the G2 Hardwicke S.-before finishing second in three subsequent starts to round out the year behind Poet’s Word (GB) (Poet’s Voice {GB}), Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB})-the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S., the G3 September S. and the G1 Champion S. After defending his titles in the Gordon Richards and Al Rayyan, Crystal Ocean at last got off the mark at the highest level this June at Royal Ascot in the G1 Prince of Wales’s S. He found only Enable a neck too tough in the King George, and rounded out his career with a head second to Japan (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Juddmonte International.

Crystal Ocean is out of Sir Evelyn de Rothschild’s listed-winning Crystal Star, and therefore a half-brother to GI Canadian International winner Hillstar (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), triple group winner Crystal Capella (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and the listed-winning Crystal Zvezda (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

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