CRYSTAL OCEAN (2/5f) easily landed the Group 3 Al Rayyan Stakes to suggest he could be Sir Michael Stoute’s top middle distance horse this season. The Sea The Stars four-year-old was much too good for Second Step, who was six lengths away in second with Scarlet Dragon in third.

Happy to lob along as Buildmeupbuttercup and then Raheen House held the lead, Ryan Moore sent the 2/5 favourite to the front two furlongs out and turned the race into a procession.

Crystal Ocean stayed a mile and three quarters when runner-up in the St Leger but has the speed for a mile and a quarter, making the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and the Eclipse possible targets.

However, he is only 2/1 for the Hardwicke Stakes, run over last week’s trip of a mile and a half, and that looks the best race for him.

ALL CLASS

Stoute possibly nursed hopes of a double with impressive Sandown winner Crystal Hope but the uneasy 2/1 favourite could manage only third behind William Haggas’ Sea Of Class, another by Sea The Stars, in the Listed Haras De Bouquetot Fillies’ Trial over ten furlongs.

Produced by James Doyle inside the two-furlong marker, Sea Of Class found plenty and went away to beat Aidan O’Brien’s Athena and Crystal Hope by two lengths and five.

Haggas won the Musidora at York with Give And Take, only second to Crystal Hope at Sandown, so this appears to give him a strong hand in the upcoming Investec Oaks. However, it follows on plenty soon enough.

“In an ideal world you might want to give her time and not upset her at Epsom but she was brilliant today,” Maureen Haggas said. “I think she’s a bit short on experience but it’s up to the owners and William.”

Ladbrokes were impressed and went only 8/1 for the fillies’ Classic.

COMMONWEALTH CUP

Hugo Palmer’s Never Back Down looked temperamental on AW Championships Day at Lingfield but has been gelded since. He made all the running to win the Listed Shalaa Carnarvon Stakes at 25/1 and he may yet vindicate Palmer’s decision to enter him for the Commonwealth Cup.

Champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa was on board and later completed a double on Mark Johnston’s Communique, 7/1, in the London Gold Cup over ten furlongs. Both trainer and jockey are in fine form, de Sousa adding four more winners at Ripon last Sunday while Johnston also sent out runner-up Poet’s Prince here.