Ocean Jewel continued her progression over a mile with a success in the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.
Trained by William Mccreery, Ocean Jewel landed the Group 3 Barrycorus Stakes at Leopardstown as a three-year-old and made her first venture over a mile when finishing a fair eighth in the Group 1 Matron Stakes, facing some tough opposition.
The Sioux Nation filly had a straightforward passage through the race, with jockey Billy Lee able to sit on the outside of the group before travelling kindly to the front with a furlong to run. She faced little opposition to land the race by one-and-a-quarter lengths from Goldana. Hot favourite Rogue Millenium was making her stable debut for Joseph O'Brien and suffered a luckless run, stuck on the inside under Dylan Browne Mcmonagle. Although the five-year-old mare managed to get through in the late stages, she lost any winning opportunity and did well to finish third.
"They went no gallop and she was a bit fresh early on, but Billy got her settled and she finished out well. I'm delighted with that," said McCreery.
"We'll go on to Royal Ascot now for the Duke of Cambridge. She's won a Group Three and a Group Two now and that's very important as she's well bred and it's great for Al Shira'aa Farms.
"There were a few races that we probably should have entered her in, but she would have had to carry a Group Three penalty and I just said it wasn't fair on her and we'd wait for this and it would be a nice pipe-opener for Royal Ascot.
"She stayed the mile well. Once she settles early, she'll stay it no bother."
Paddy Power introduced Ocean Jewel into the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes market at 16/1.
