Crystal Ocean Headlines Gr.1 Juddmonte International
The world's highest-rated horse, Crystal Ocean, joins eight top class thoroughbreds attempting to win the Gr.1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York.
Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Crystal Ocean will face high-class 3-year-olds King of Comedy, Circus Maximus, and Japan on the opening day of the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival in a contest with a purse in excess of £1 million.
King of Comedy will be looking for vengeance after he finished second behind the reopposing Circus Maximus in the Gr.1 St. James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot earlier this summer.
Elarqam, who was an impressive winner of the Gr.2 York Stakes over the same C&D returns to the Knavesmire and is joined by Cheval Grand, Regal Reality, Thundering Blue, and Gr.1 Queen Anne winner Lord Glitters in an intriguing contest.
As expected, Enable, who has Thursday's Gr.1 Yorkshire Oaks as her target, will not run in the 1 5/16-mile test.
The race is part of the international Breeders' Cup Challenge series, and while it's contested on turf, it will award a spot in the Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Classic.