'We're absolutely gutted, but I still think he's one of the best sprinters around' - Oxted to miss the rest of the season

Roger Teal has said that his dual Group 1 winner Oxted will miss the rest of the season, but is confident he still has "one of the best sprinters around" to look forward to next year.

Oxted, winner of the 2020 July Cup, was in line for his first start in almost two years in the Duke of York Stakes in May in preparation to defend his King's Stand Stakes crown at Royal Ascot, but a setback ruled him out of both.

Teal had been hoping to unleash his stable star at the back end of the season, but he believes he has missed too much crucial work and is now aiming to start Oxted back at the beginning of next year.

"We're absolutely gutted, but we're going to miss too much and you can't miss any work at this time of the season, so we're going to keep our powder dry and we'll probably start early next year," said Teal.

"Whether that's abroad I'm not sure yet, but it's just bloody gutting because he was so close and I still think he's one of the best sprinters around – at the moment he's just not getting his opportunity to take part.

Oxted and Cieren Fallon win the 2021 King's Stand StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

"It's just frustrating as just on his last little stretch he gave himself a bit of a whack, but that's horses for you. It happens – it's always the good ones. Fingers crossed he'll be back, I'm sure he will be."

Oxted may not have been able to take his chance at the royal meeting, but his brother Chipstead lined up in Saturday's Wokingham, finishing a disappointing 24th out of 27 runners, a run that left Teal a touch bemused.

"I'm going to get his bloods done to see if that shows anything because he didn't really run a race at all for whatever reason," he said. "He seems fine, though, he's sound and everything seems okay, but we're just going to see if there's anything untoward going on.

"He's a decent sprinter and we were hoping he'd be in the top five, but it just didn't happen – he didn't fire. We'll see how he comes out of it over the next week or so and then make a plan."

Dancing Magic is yet to win a race in eight starts but has run some big races, including a fourth in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy behind subsequent Derby winner Auguste Rodin, and was again unlucky at Royal Ascot when beaten four and a quarter lengths after being forced widest of all in the 16-runner Hampton Court Stakes.

"It's absolutely crazy he's still never won a race," said Teal. "There was a lot of interference just over a furlong out and obviously the horse swerved and Jim [Crowley] was just coming with a lovely run and he had to pull him wide again.

"He's been beaten just over four lengths and Jim said if he'd have kept that run going he'd have troubled the leaders. He's not the luckiest horse in the world and has had only one disappointing run and that was in the Dante, where he was far too keen. There's definitely a good one in him."

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