Ocean Wind is a lightly-raced seven year-old who, at the time of writing, is among the overnight declarations for the Group 1 Goodwood Cup on August 1, 2023. Trained by Roger Teal in Lambourn, the son of unbeaten champion two-year-old Teofilo was pencilled in for the same race in both 2021 and 2022, but suffered a series of training setbacks, which kept him off the track for 771 days. He eventually reappeared in the Listed Esher Stakes, over two miles, at Sandown Park on July 7, 2023, finishing third of six, beaten 3½ lengths, behind comfortable winner Yibir.
Ocean Wind is currently rated 110+ by Timeform – the ‘+’ indicating that he may be better than that – which places him in the ‘smart’ category, according to the renowned ratings organisation. Even so, he has 14lb and upwards to find with the principals in the Goodwood Cup, which, together with the possibility of him ‘bouncing’ on his second run after such a long layoff, accounts for his current odds of 33/1.
Ocean Wind did, indeed, run at the Cheltenham Festival, finishing sixth, beaten 10¾ lengths, behind the Willie Mullins-trained winner Ferny Hollow, in the Champion Bumper on March 11, 2020. Thereafter, Teal, who holds a dual purpose licence, turned his attention to Flat racing and the the four-year-old colt made an almost immediate impact in that sphere. After a promising, staying-on third in a Lingfield maiden the following August, Ocean Wind completed a hat-trick, which included a ready 4½-length win in the Cesarewitch Trial at Newmarket on his handicap debut.
Although ineligible for the Cesarewitch itself, much to the frustration of his trainer, the following April Ocean Wind demonstrated his credentials as a top staying prospect when beaten a length by Stradivarius in the Group 3 Sagaro Stakes at Ascot. He subsequently finished a well-beaten third when odds-on favourite for the Henry II Stakes at Sandown Park, before injury intervened.