Keane has big plans for Crystal Black this spring

Gerard Keane is hoping to get two runs into returning stable star Crystal Black prior to a potential tilt at Group One glory in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.

The seven-year-old is on course to make his seasonal debut in Saturday’s Tote Alleged Stakes at the Curragh and is also entered in the Coolmore Stud City Of Troy Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes at the same venue on May 5.

Keane said: “We are hoping to go to the two of them, I think there is a good three weeks between them. Then the main plan, if he runs well enough in either of them, he would go for the Tattersalls Gold Cup (Curragh, May 25).

“That’s the first half of the year over with then. If that doesn’t work out, we will have to think of a different plan, I suppose.”

Crystal Black won each of his four starts last season, including the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot and Leopardstown’s Group Three Ballyroan Stakes in early August.

He was talked of as a leading Melbourne Cup contender before a setback cut short his campaign, but Keane played down the possibility of targeting Australia’s most famous race this term.

The Meath trainer added: “The ground would be very fast down there and that wouldn’t really suit him. He got away with it last year (at Royal Ascot), but he’s a massive big horse and you wouldn’t want to keep running him on it.

“I don’t know about Australia, but we will travel somewhere with him. There’s plenty of other options, obviously unless he gets sold.

“He’s in great form. He was supposed to have a racecourse gallop and he got a stone bruise, so we didn’t get there.

“No matter where he goes first time, he will need the run.

“Obviously, it is a different kettle of fish this year with the company you are going to have to keep. If he isn’t good enough, he is a Group Three horse anyway and he would pick up plenty of prize money, you’d imagine.”