Tag Archive for: Crystal Black

Setback ends Melbourne Cup dreams for Crystal Black this year

/in /by

Royal Ascot hero and leading Melbourne Cup contender Crystal Black has been ruled out of a trip to Australia after suffering a setback.

The six-year-old has won each of his four starts this season for the father-son combination of Ger and Colin Keane, sparking scenes of wild celebration in the Ascot winner’s enclosure in landing the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes in June.

Having since progressed to Pattern company with a dominant Group Three success in Leopardstown’s Ballyroan Stakes, the six-year-old was all set to head to Flemington with leading claims, but he was not among the initial nominations and his trainer has revealed he will sit out the rest of 2024.

“He’s had a bit of a setback and is going to go on his winter break,” said Keane.

“It’s nothing serious, but you have to go by him and he wouldn’t ready for it (Melbourne Cup).

“He got a viral infection and his bloods were very low and he wasn’t himself. You’d have to be pushing him to run in it, so it wouldn’t be the right thing to do and it wouldn’t be fair on the horse.

“It’s only a minor setback, so we’ll put him away for the winter and see where we go next year.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Crystal Black firmly in Melbourne Cup picture after Ballyroan triumph

/in /by

Crystal Black swept from last to first to continue his tremendous progression with victory in the Xin Gin Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown.

Trained by Ger Keane and ridden by his champion jockey son, Colin, the six-year-old – who started his winning streak off a mark of just 77 – landed the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot and has now added a Group Three prize to his burgeoning CV.

Keane eased the 11-10 favourite down the outside in the mile-and-a-half feature, readily picking up market rival The Euphrates and going clear for a five-length success over Aidan O’Brien’s runner.

In doing so, Crystal Black kept dreams of the Melbourne Cup very much alive, possibly with a new ownership interest.

Keane senior said: “There is a bit of interest from Australia in him and there are negotiations going on that he might go for the Melbourne Cup. The lads want to hold on to half of him, but we’ll know more in the next few days.

“If he was in the first three today that deal was on the table.”

He added: “It’s a kind of a fairytale really. He just keeps improving and improving.

“He had issues when we got him first with allergies and this year has just been amazing. You are always afraid that you are one run away from going over the top.”

O’Brien’s Ylang Ylang failed to make an impression behind Mutasarref in the Bahrain Turf Club Desmond Stakes.

Sent off the 11-8 favourite for the Oaks at Epsom, she finished only sixth and picked up a problem which had kept her off the track since.

O’Brien had warned she would not be fully tune up and so it proved, with Ger Lyons’ six-year-old Mutasarref winning for the ninth time.

Lyons said: “He’s some horse and you don’t expect him to be winning with the penalties. He’s a nice horse around a bend.

“We were a bit disappointed with him at the Curragh, but I don’t think he’s ever run his best at the Curragh in a straight.

“His plan is to come back here for the Group Two on Champions Weekend, which is beyond him as we know, but it’s another day out.”

Amo Racing’s expensive purchase Hill Road made the perfect start to his career in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C&G) Maiden.

Kia Joorabchian’s operation paid $350,000 for the son of Quality Road and while he has some way to go to repay that sum, his entry in the Group One Vincent O’Brien National Stakes does not look fanciful after this five-length success under David Egan.

Trainer Adrian Murray said: “We’ve always held this lad in good regard.

“We had him ready early in the year and he won a barrier trial in Naas.

“We backed off him as we wanted to give him time to strengthen up and to mature and he’s all there now.

“We’ll probably come back here for the Group Two over a mile on Champions Weekend.

“He’s a very laid-back horse and takes a bit of revving up. It’s a good sign in a horse.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Crystal Black out to extend winning run at Leopardstown

/in /by

Crystal Black could book a trip to the Melbourne Cup when the Royal Ascot hero lines up for the Xin Gin Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown on Thursday evening.

Trained by Gerard Keane, the six-year-old was both a popular and convincing winner of the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at the Royal meeting in the hands of the handler’s son, Irish champion jockey Colin Keane.

He has since been freshened up, with an Australian adventure for ‘the race that stops a nation’ cited as the long-term aim.

However, before thoughts can turn to Flemington in November, the gelding Keane describes as “the best horse we’ve ever had” has to come through his first assignment at group level, where he will be attempting to continue a four-race winning run.

Keane said: “He’s been unbelievable and the best horse we’ve ever had. When he first came, he gave us a bit of trouble and some little niggly things, but once he came right, he’s been great. He’s been a superstar for us.

“He will qualify for Melbourne if he finishes in the first three.”

There is a field of four heading to post for the Group Three event, with Crystal Black having to concede 10lb to Aidan O’Brien’s Marble City Stakes winner The Euphrates. Adrian Murray’s Crypto Force and Johnny Murtagh’s Safecracker complete the line-up.

“We gave him a nice break after Ascot and he’s been freshened up and put on a good bit of weight,” continued Keane.

Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas Day – Curragh Racecourse – Saturday 25th May
Crystal Black with connections after winning at the Curragh (Damien Eagers/PA).

“He’s ready to go again now but obviously he has to give 10lb to the three-year-old (The Euphrates) and that is the only thing I would worry about. On all known form, he has the other two covered.”

The other group action at the Dublin track is the Bahrain Turf Club Desmond Stakes, where one-time Classic hope Ylang Ylang drops back both in distance and class representing Ballydoyle.

Beaten only a length in the 1000 Guineas on her return to action, the daughter of Frankel was then sent off the 11-8 favourite for the Oaks when finishing down the field at Epsom on her next start.

She now reverts to a mile, the distance she scooped Group One honours at as a two-year-old.

Dubai Future Champions Festival 2023 – Newmarket Racecourse – Day One
Ylang Ylang ridden by jockey Ryan Moore (second left) wins the Fillies’ Mile (Nigel French/PA).

Ylang Ylang’s biggest danger could be provided by Joseph O’Brien’s upwardly mobile Galen, who makes the move into deeper waters after two convincing victories of late.

“He’s stepping up but he has earned that and he is coming off the back of two very good wins,” said O’Brien.

“Even for a group race, it looks a very hot race, but we’re looking forward to the step up in class with him.”

The consistent Lord Massusus returns to the Irish capital to defend his crown for Joseph Murphy, with Breeders’ Cup runner-up Mountain Bear in the mix as the Ballydoyle second string.



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Crystal Black’s future could contain Ebor tilt

/in /by

The Sky Bet Ebor is among the potential options for consideration by the Crystal Black team, following his “once in a lifetime” victory at Royal Ascot last week.

The six-year-old lined up in Friday’s Duke of Edinburgh Stakes chasing a fourth consecutive victory for trainer Gerard Keane, with his son and four-time champion jockey Colin in the saddle.

An impressive victory not only sealed a popular family success but also sparked scenes of wild celebration in the Ascot winner’s enclosure – and Keane senior admits he is still coming back down to earth almost a week on.

“It was great to get it, it was just unbelievable,” he said.

“We had a good party in the lads’ hotel that night and they came down here to the local pub last Sunday and we had another good party, so we’ve had a good time of it! It’s a once in a lifetime job probably.

“The horse came out of the race well, he came home that night and he’s in great nick. We won’t put a saddle on him until next Monday.”

Having seen his stable star successfully step up to a mile and a half in Berkshire, Keane does not view a further hike in trip for the £500,000 Ebor over a mile and three-quarters as a major concern, should connections opt for a trip to the Knavesmire in late August.

Crystal Black and Colin Keane in full flight at Royal Ascot
Crystal Black and Colin Keane in full flight at Royal Ascot (David Davies/PA)

He added: “We haven’t really (made any plans), he’ll probably get an entry in the Ebor. He’s gone up 8lb to a mark of 111, so he’ll probably get an entry in the Ebor and we’ll see.

“You’d say he’s more or less finished in handicaps now, although you might have to take a chance in one for a big pot, like the Ebor, otherwise you’re probably looking at a Listed race or a Group Three.

“The other thing is there’s a good bit of interest in him from Australia, so we’ll have to talk about those things.

“The trip wasn’t a problem (at Ascot), the ground was our biggest fear because he’s a big horse at about 17 hands. I wouldn’t want to run him on quick ground all the time, but he went well on it the other day and Colin was very happy with him.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Crystal sparkles to give Keane team ‘special’ Ascot success

/in /by

Colin Keane reflected on the “most emotional” success of his riding career after delivering Crystal Black to perfection to win the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot for his father Gerard.

Champion jockey for the last four seasons in Ireland, Keane has enjoyed a whole host big-race victories during that period including Classic wins in the Irish 2,000 Guineas on Siskin, the Irish Oaks on Even So and the Irish Derby on Westover – but none more meant to him than this.

Heading to Ascot having won both of his starts this term, Crystal Black was an 11-1 shot for this ultra-competitive mile-and-a-half handicap and while he still had plenty of horses ahead of him heading into the straight, he soon responded to his rider’s urgings to take closer order.

Although the Willie Mullins-trained 7-4 favourite Ethical Diamond at one point looked the likely winner, Crystal Black was not for passing once striking the front, running on to score by two and a quarter lengths with ears pricked from David O’Meara’s Epic Poet. Ziggy made late headway to pip Ethical Diamond for third.

“It’s the most emotional I’ve felt about riding a winner. It’s very special riding one for my father at Royal Ascot, and a great bunch of owners (the Wear A Pink Ribbon Syndicate). They might not get home for a while to be honest, but they’re dead right,” said the jockey.

“He’s improved from run to run and we thought he’d get a mile and a half, the way he was finishing over a mile and a quarter.

“He seems to be a horse that the longer he’s on the bridle, the better he travels, and he can quicken.

“At home he can just win by a neck or a head and has kept on the right side of the handicapper, thankfully. You’d imagine he’d have to move up to Group level now.

“Dad only has a small number of horses, and we’re mainly a breaking and pre-training yard now, so to have a horse like him in the yard is brilliant.”

Colin Keane and Crystal Black return to the winner's enclosure
Colin Keane and Crystal Black return to the winner’s enclosure (John Walton/PA)

Keane senior added: “It’s just unbelievable, I never thought we’d have a horse here. I dreamed of maybe having a Cheltenham horse along the way, I never dreamed we’d have a Royal Ascot horse.

“We got him and early on he gave us plenty of hardship, he was wrong early on, but when he came right he had a great finish to the year and a great autumn.

“He’s just progressed ever since, this year he’s just had a trouble-free run the whole way. He couldn’t run in the Lincoln and looking back it was probably best he couldn’t. I messed up the passport but he’d have needed the run badly.

“He still needed the run first time out and that was five weeks later, so it was maybe the best thing that ever happened.”

On his son, he said: “He’s not too bad, is he? He gave him a great ride, knows the horse inside out, he just lets him creep into the race. It’s all about him finishing and he finishes well.”

Winning co-owner Neville Eager explained how the syndicate came together.

He said: “We had a horse with Willie Mullins called True Self, with a lovely girl called Breda Miley who was always with us, but she’s passed away since. We raise money for cancer, and Colin rode True Self for us.

“I met Colin in Hong Kong. One night, I said to him, just for luck, can you buy us a horse and we’ll go with you again. I’d say, nearly two years to the day, Colin rings me and says I’m going to buy a horse tomorrow I like at the sales. I said go on then, and he organised it.

“We’ve been to Melbourne before with True Self, but I don’t know whether he’ll go back with this horse yet. I haven’t had time to catch my breath.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns