CRYSTAL Ocean’s covering fee has been set at €8,000 for his first season at The Beeches Stud in Lismore, Co Waterford.

Eyebrows were raised earlier in the year when the Group 1 winner, one of the highest rated racehorses in the world, was secured by Coolmore Stud for National Hunt duties. The son of Sea The Stars won the 10-furlong Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot this year and pushed Enable to within a neck, conceding her 3lbs, in the 12-furlong King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at the same course a month later.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained five-year-old was retired in September after suffering a leg injury on the Newmarket gallops.

Crystal Ocean is one of 19 stallions standing under the Coolmore NH banner for 2020. Of the other eight at The Beeches, the 28-year-old Flemensfirth heads the roster at €15,000, no change from this year. Wings Of Eagles has been trimmed by €500 to €6,000 and Ocovango has seen his fee raised by €1,000 to €4,500 following promising results from his first runners.

St Leger winner

Capri, who defeated Crystal Ocean in the 2017 St Leger, has been put in at €5,000 for his first season at Grange Stud in Fermoy, Co Cork. Milan’s fee has risen by 25% to €10,000. Best known as a sire of staying chasers, Milan has also produced a Champion Hurdle winner in Jezki and his most recent big race winners include If The Cap Fits and Santini.

Getaway has also been given a fee hike, from €7,500 to €9,000. Verdana Blue, Talkischeap and Getabird are among his top performers to-date. Also at Grange, Walk In The Park’s fee remains private and Leading Light stays at €3,000.

Castlehyde Stud in Fermoy also stands five National Hunt stallions for Coolmore, and the fees for all five remain unchanged.