Crystal aiming to sparkle with Ballyroan repeat

Gerard Keane hopes a successful defence of the Tote Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown on Thursday can open further doors for Crystal Black.

The seven-year-old was unbeaten in all four starts last year, which saw the son of Teofilo triumph in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot before impressively landing this race by five lengths for his maiden Pattern win.

Crystal Black made a return to action in the Alleged Stakes in April, finishing seven lengths adrift of Galen in fourth to end his winning streak.

He subsequently underwent a wind procedure and Keane is looking forward to his stable star kick-starting his 2025 campaign, as he lines up a tilt at the final Irish Classic of season next month.

“He’s coming along, he had a little bit of a hobday,” Keane said.

“So he’s coming along well, we are happy with his work and as good as we can have him without a run. He’s probably 90 per cent so it’s a nice little race to start him back with. As long as he runs a nice race, we’ll be happy.

“He’s got an entry in the (Irish) Leger, so that is the plan if we think he is good enough to run in that, but that’s in a month’s time.

“That’s the plan – Ballyroan, the Leger – and then after that we will see what’s happening then.”

Six-time Irish champion jockey Colin Keane is aboard for his father in the Group Three contest over a mile and a half.

Sons And Lovers goes for Joseph O’Brien, the Noel Meade-trained Group-winning Layfayette also starts and Jessica Harrington has entered Sea The Boss.

Johnny Murtagh’s Siege Of Troy and This Songisforyou, trained by Emmet Mullins, complete the six-runner line-up.