CRYSTAL OCEAN been retired after suffering a career-ending leg injury on the Newmarket gallops on Thursday morning.
The Sir Michael Stoute-trained five-year-old, who scored a first Group 1 victory in June when landing the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot , was a general 7-1 third favourite for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on 6 October.
But the son of Sea The Stars, subsequently second to Enable in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July and Japan in York’s Juddmonte International last month, underwent surgery yesterday - and is now set to take up stallion duties.
“He’s had to have two screws inserted into a cannon bone,” said Peter Stanley, spokesman for Crystal Ocean’s owner, Sir Evelyn de Rothschild.
“He’s fine after surgery - he’s come through the operation and is up and about.
“At this stage, the vet sees no problem at all in him heading to stud, but it is early days.
“Obviously, it didn’t happen long ago, but the hope is that he makes a full recovery.”
As the news broke, Enable shortened to 8-11 (from 10-11) for a history-making Arc hat-trick in Paris three weeks on Sunday.
