Goodwood Cup return in prospect for Ocean Wind

Last season’s Sagaro Stakes runner-up Ocean Wind is pencilled in to make his long-awaited return in the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup in a fortnight’s time.

Runner-up to triple Gold Cup winner Stradivarius at Ascot in April 2021, he has not run since finishing third to Lismore in the Henry II at Sandown 14 months ago.

Having overcome a setback, trainer Roger Teal is now looking to kick on with the top staying prospect.

“He hasn’t run for a while but fingers crossed we can get to Goodwood in one piece. The plan is to run if all is well,” said the Lambourn trainer.

“He was third in the Henry II on horrendous ground last May and I probably shouldn’t have run him. That was one we can write off, I think.

“We will rewind to him being beaten a length by Stradivarius and forget the last one.”

Teal feels a Cup campaign could be on the cards thereafter, with York’s Lonsdale Cup on August 21 tabbed as his next target.

“I have got him in at Goodwood and we have him in a Group Two over two miles at York’s Ebor meeting,” he added.

With star sprinter Oxted sidelined for the season, the 54-year-old was delighted to see Sea The Shells as a potential flag-bearer for the yard going forward, following his impressive win in a decent Chelmsford handicap on Tuesday evening.

The four-year-old Sea The Stars gelding, who was having his second start for Teal after a long lay-off, is rated 90 but looks set for better things following his success in the 10-furlong event.

“He has not long joined us,” said Teal. “He was with Mark Johnston but had a year and a half off. He ran at Newcastle a few weeks back and he badly needed it, but he turned the form around with the winner (Vulcan) and absolutely hacked up.

“He is exciting going forward. With a stable our size, when you lose your good horses, it hits you hard, but he put a smile on everyone’s face.

“The handicapper will stick him up a few pounds for that, but it was just nice to get him back in the winner’s enclosure, He is a lovely horse and he works like a proper horse. He is nice and exciting to look forward to.

“We will sit down in the next couple of days and see what we have on the agenda for him.”

Teal also had news of Oxted, who is making good progress.

After landing the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot last June, Oxted was a close-up third in defence of his July Cup title at Newmarket last Summer, but following the removal of a floating bone chip, he then suffered a near-foreleg tendon problem after a routine piece of work in April.

Teal added: “Oxted is good. Everything is coming along nicely. He is up at Fiona Marner’s Windmill Stud and is on the water treadmill up there. The leg looks fantastic.

“We just have fingers, toes and everything crossed that we can get him back and it is such a shame he is not around this year, as I think he could have been competitive. That’s racing for you – it is frustrating.

“He is relatively young as sprinters go and hasn’t had too many miles on the clock – just 15 runs. Sometimes these things happen for a reason. He might come back better and stronger.”