Flat studs' loss is McCarthys' gain as they welcome Crystal Ocean to The Beeches

For some, the retirement of last year's joint-world champion Crystal Ocean to become a jumps stallion at The Beeches Stud in County Waterford was damning evidence of the bloodstock industry's rejection of middle-distance breeding.

Surely, the argument went, a son of the great Sea The Stars and a sibling to the talented pair Crystal Capella and Hillstar who showed uncommon class and consistency in his career should be attempting to breed the next generation of Flat champions.

And of course there is a lot to be said for that; the sport's present infatuation with sprint distances is indeed frustrating. But in the cold, hard reality of modern bloodstock economics it was deemed by the highest bidder for Crystal Ocean's services, Coolmore, that the best chance of maximising the return on their investment came from adding him to their National Hunt roster.