Crystal Black's future could contain Ebor tilt
CRYSTAL CLEAR: Crystal Black wins the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes in the hands of Colin Keane. Picture: Healy Racing
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 Sr 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 (€590,739) Ebor over a mile and three-quarters as a major concern, should connections opt for a trip to the Knavesmire in late August.
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."
Meanwhile, Clarendon House has two York dates in his diary after leaving a starting blip behind him to land the Midsummer Sprint Stakes at Cork.
The Robert Cowell-trained gelding is a seasoned five-furlong sprinter who began his season in the Middle East when finishing fourth in the Group Two Blue Point Sprint at Meydan.
He was then third in the Listed Hever Sprint at Southwell, after which he landed the valuable Lindum York Handicap on the Knavesmire in the middle of May.
That run led into the Epsom Dash on Derby Day, where the bay was well fancied at 11-2 but for the first time in his career was unwilling to leave the stalls and let the field go on without him.
Cowell acted by calling in Craig and Jake Witheford, experts in equine behaviour whose work clearly did the trick when Clarendon House lined up for the Listed Midsummer Sprint at Cork on June 14.
Under Colin Keane and going off as the 2-1 favourite, Cowell's runner was much the best as he exited the stalls without hesitation and strode to a comfortable two-and-three-quarter-length victory.
"It was a good run, I don't know what he beat but he did it good fashion anyway," the trainer said.
"He was clearly way too good for whoever he did beat, it was really good to see and he came out of the gates which was the main thing.
"He was quick this time, the Withefords have done a good job and it's up to the horse now to prove that he's not becoming a bit reluctant.
"We never saw it coming at Epsom and hopefully that was the first and last time."
