A return to the highest level beckons for Crystal Ocean after the Sir Michael Stoute five-year-old landed odds of 2-9 in the Group 3 Al Rayyan Stakes - previously known as the Aston Park Stakes - at Newbury.
His previous three tries in Group 1 company have resulted in silver medals - Crystal Ocean finished second in the 2017 St Leger before chasing home Poet’s Word in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, and Cracksman in the QIPCO Champion Stakes at the royal racecourse, last year.
Now the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 19 is on Stoute’s mind after Ryan Moore’s mount galloped to a two-length supremacy over Laraaib.
Crystal Ocean landed the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at the royal meeting 11 months ago, and Stoute said: “He’s in the two races at Ascot. We don’t have to decide today - at this stage I would have preference for the Prince of Wales.”
Moore added: “It was a mess of a race, but he handled everything quite comfortably.
“He’s well up to winning a Group 1 - he’s getting better and better.”
