James Doyle says he is ecstatic after picking up the ride on Crystal Ocean who takes on Enable in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
Crystal Ocean is unbeaten in three starts this season, completing his hat-trick with an impressive victory in last month’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes in the hands of Frankie Dettori.
With Dettori to partner the brilliant dual Arc winner Enable on Saturday week and Ryan Moore likely to be committed to ride for Aidan O’Brien, the ride on Crystal Ocean was going begging and Doyle is thrilled to have been called up.
“Any sort of ride you pick up in a big race is always nice, but to pick up a ride on a horse like him in a race like a King George – I’m absolutely ecstatic,” Doyle told Sky Sports Racing.
“I’m going to sit on him on Saturday morning and I can’t wait really.
“He looks an absolute dream to ride. He looks very uncomplicated, which is always nice.”
Crystal Ocean is best priced at 3-1 to give Sir Michael Stoute a record seventh King George success, with the John Gosden-trained Enable the 4-6 favourite to follow-up her impressive comeback victory in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.
Crystal Ocean heads the latest world’s highest racehorse rankings.