Harry Eustace is hoping to head to Hong Kong with Docklands after his globetrotting stable star has his latest run in Australia.
Runner-up in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot and not disgraced when seventh to City Of Troy in the Juddmonte International, the four-year-old had a crack at the Cox Plate last month.
He was fifth there to the ex-British-trained Via Sistina and will clash again with that mare – who has been nothing short of a revelation since her sale and move to Chris Waller – this weekend in the Champions Stakes at Flemington.
“Hong Kong is very much the plan after Saturday, so here’s hoping we can pull it off in Oz ahead of heading up there for the International races meet in December,” Eustace told Grosvenor Sport.
“I think he’s improved both mentally and physically for his run in the Cox Plate, which we probably thought might happen. Obviously, we were well held by Via Sistina at Moonee Valley, so it’s a case of how much Docklands has improved in the meantime, which we won’t know for sure until Saturday.
“I’d say we also didn’t find out if he really stayed the 10 furlongs in the Cox Plate, as he was probably needing the run that day, so we’ll learn more about his stamina come Saturday too.
“The track at Flemington will definitely suit him better than Moonee Valley. Of course, other participants will probably say the same, but I’m excited for our guy, as he really ought to have his ideal conditions on Saturday.
“If we end up finishing second to Via Sistina, then so be it, but we’re really hoping we have our guy in a better place to show his very best.”
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Harry Eustace is eager for a rematch between his runner Docklands and impressive Cox Plate winner Via Sistina.
Docklands was beaten 11 lengths when fifth in the Moonee Valley Group One late last month, with the ex-British runner Via Sistina chalking up a fourth Australian Group One success in style, beating runner-up Prognosis by eight lengths.
Despite the margin of defeat, Eustace would prefer to clash again with Via Sistina in Saturday’s Champions Stakes rather than drop back for the Champions Mile on the same Flemington card.
“Docklands is really well. We’re very happy with him and he almost certainly goes to the mile-and-a-quarter Champions Stakes on Saturday at Flemington. It might surprise a few people that we’re keen to take on Via Sistina again, but I very much feel he’s improved since the Cox Plate,” he told Grosvenor Sport.
“I think Via Sistina will scare a lot of horses into the Mile, which ought to make the Champions Stakes into a smaller field and more tactical affair, which I think will suit us.”
The Chris Waller-trained Via Sistina was previously handled by George Boughey in Britain, winning last year’s Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh and finishing second in the Champion Stakes before her 2.7million guineas sale to owner Yulong Investments at the end of 2023.
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Harry Eustace believes Sea King has most to fear from his fellow European raiders as he goes for gold in Tuesday’s Lexus Melbourne Cup.
The 24-strong field features two runners from Britain in Sea King and Brian Ellison’s Onesmoothoperator, while the Willie Mullins-trained pair of Vauban and Absurde form the Irish challenge.
Eustace has a direct form reference with Onesmoothoperator as he finished a nose behind Sea King when the pair were sixth and seventh in the Ebor and the merit of Mullins’ runners is well known, with Vauban having finished second to Kyprios in the Irish St Leger last time out and Absurde a cosy Listed winner at Chester.
Absurde was seventh at Flemington last year when Vauban proved a bitter disappointment in 14th and neither has had an Australian prep run, unlike Geelong Cup winner Onesmoothoperator and Eustace’s Bendigo Cup hero Sea King.
UK visitor Sea King destroys his rivals in the Bendigo Cup 👑
“I might be a little biased but I think the European raiders look to have massive chances. Onesmoothoperator won well at Geelong and our guy was obviously ahead of him in the Ebor,” Eustace told Grosvenor Sport.
“In the last few years of the Cup, it’s been all about the quality horses, and I’ve got a huge amount of respect for the Mullins horses, Vauban and Absurde. Vauban has been mixing it with the champion stayer Kyprios and Absurde is an Ebor winner who ran a blinder in this race last year.
“But look, it is a handicap at the end of the day, and this year, with the way it’s cutting up, there could be a surprise winner, and I suppose we’re just hoping it’s us.”
Sea King will be ridden for the first time by Hollie Doyle at Flemington, with the five-year-old drawn in stall one in what is his first attempt at two miles.
Hollie Doyle will get the leg up on Sea King (Mike Egerton/PA)
Eustace said: “We’ve been drawn in stall one, which on paper wouldn’t be the first berth you’d pick. However, given he was a little keen in the Bendigo Cup, it might just suit us to jump from stall one and allow Hollie (Doyle) to get covered up nicely and early. I’d much rather be drawn low than high, so we’re happy.
“I’m actually confident about the two-mile trip. Obviously, I want him to relax a bit better than he did in the Bendigo Cup, as he was a little keen in the blinkers that day, but he certainly wasn’t stopping at the line. I am considering changing his headgear, though, and putting a pair of cheekpieces on for the Cup instead of the blinkers.
“It’s very hard to change a winning formula, but would he get away with being as keen as he was on Wednesday in the Cup? I’m not sure, and I think the cheekpieces could actually work even better for him.”
Harry Eustace could join his brother as a Melbourne Cup-winning trainer (Mike Egerton/PA)
Sea King turns out six days after securing his place in the field at Bendigo and Eustace added: “The quick turnaround isn’t ideal, and it’s not the typical way you’d prep a horse for a big race. But it’s not the end of the world either, as Wednesday’s efforts might’ve just taken a bit of the freshness out of him so he can race more efficiently.”
Eustace took over the licence from his father James in 2021 and his brother David is also a trainer, forming a fruitful Australian partnership with Ciaron Maher which yielded Melbourne Cup glory with Gold Trip in 2022 before striking out on his own in Hong Kong this year.
His brother has been a source of advice for Eustace, who revealed his father has a little extra interest riding on the result.
He explained: “It’s great to have my parents down here for the race. Dad has always been a glass half-full kind of person and before Sea King had even won at Bendigo, he’d backed him at 100-1 to win the Melbourne Cup. He’s enjoying the ride and feeling very clever with himself at the moment.
“(I’ve had) plenty of opinions from David. He’s very much in favour of us keeping the blinkers on! But in all seriousness, it’s great to have someone like him to bounce ideas off, as he’s able to give us an outsider’s perspective and he knows what it takes to win the race.”
Sea King previously raced for Sir Mark Prescott, winning five of his 18 starts before being bought by a group led by OTI Racing and joining Eustace ahead of his Australian adventure.
Buckaroo is the ante-post favourite and is now trained by Chris Waller (Niall Carson/PA)
Eustace said: “Unsurprisingly Sir Mark has been a gent about it all. He wrote a letter to us where he very modestly played down his role in the horse’s career.
“Sir Mark’s been in the game a long time and knows that certain horses suit certain racing jurisdictions very well. Sea King was obviously a very good horse for him, and we’ve probably not done a whole lot different with him since he joined us.
“I can’t really take much credit for his immediate success anyway as Laura (Pike), who’s basically trained and ridden him since he’s been in quarantine, has done a huge job with him.”
Ex-Joseph O’Brien runner Buckaroo currently heads the Melbourne Cup betting for trainer Chris Waller, while former Aidan O’Brien runner Interpretation, Godolphin’s Zardozi and Land Legend, who raced in Britain for James Ferguson previously, head the home hopes.
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Hollie Doyle is set to partner Sea King in the Melbourne Cup after Harry Eustace’s gelding booked his spot in the Flemington showpiece by cruising to victory in the Bendigo Cup.
The five-year-old was making his debut for Eustace in the Group Three contest, having previously raced for Sir Mark Prescott in Britain, with his 18 starts encompassing five wins and a notable sixth in the Ebor last time out.
Subsequently purchased by OTI Racing and sent to Eustace, Sea King was well supported for the 12-furlong feature, with jockey Declan Bates riding with supreme confidence, allowing his mount to stride on round the field approaching the turn for home before pulling well clear in the straight.
Speaking to Grosvenor Sport, Eustace said: “We now can’t wait to run him in the (Melbourne) Cup, should we pass the vets’ scans.
“Obviously, the Ebor form looks strong, finishing ahead of Geelong Cup winner Onesmoothoperator, and I think the two-mile trip should be fine.
“You’d have to think he’ll be competitive off the back of today’s win, so it’ll just be a case of whether he’s classy enough to go and win it.
“Declan Bates is unfortunately not able to do the weight in the Cup, so we’re lining Hollie Doyle up to take the ride, which would be a great booking.
“Based on his run today, if he can repeat that under Hollie, you’d like to think we’re going there with a live chance.”
Eustace and OTI Racing teamed up to finish fifth with Docklands in last Saturday’s Cox Plate and the trainer was delighted to see travelling companion Sea King sparkle on his Australian bow.
He added: “It was very exciting to see. We felt he’d really thrived in quarantine, but you never really know how well they are until they hit the track, so we were thrilled with how dominant he was in the end at Bendigo.
“It’s also a massive milestone for us as a team in winning our first Group race. It’s probably taken a little longer than we’d have liked, but to have achieved it in such an important race as we plot our way to the (Melbourne) Cup is huge.
“Any international winner is a big result too, especially in Australia at the moment as it’s becoming harder and harder to get horses running down here.
“I have to give a lot of credit to Terry (Henderson) and the team from OTI Racing. They took the plunge to buy him with this dream in mind and also to give us the confidence to send him down here alongside Docklands. Hopefully we can pull it off for them!”
Regarding the all-important medical examination, Eustace said: “Sea King will now undergo new CT scans on Thursday which will determine whether we’re allowed to run on Tuesday.
“He’s passed them before, and he’s not a younger horse like Jan Brueghel, so fingers crossed he’ll pass them, and we’ll be rocking and rolling on to the Cup.”
Impressive Cox Plate victor Via Sistina had been towards the head of the Melbourne Cup betting, but owners Yulong Investments have decided to bypass the Flemington highlight in favour of sticking at 10 furlongs for the Champions Stakes on Saturday week.
“We would desperately love to win a Melbourne Cup and we’ve probably got the best chance we’re ever going to have,” said Yulong’s general manager Vin Cox to Racing.com.
“But at the end of the day, the ultimate goal wasn’t the Melbourne Cup, it was the Cox Plate.
“The Melbourne Cup was then a bit of an afterthought, rather than the primary motivator – and afterthoughts tend not to end well on a racetrack.
“We all had to get our feet back on the ground, take all the emotion out of it and look at it analytically.”
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Harry Eustace described Sea King’s comfortable victory in Wednesday’s Bendigo Cup as an “absolute dream”, with the win ensuring the gelding’s place in the Melbourne Cup field.
The five-year-old was making his debut for Eustace in the Bendigo Group Three having previously raced for Sir Mark Prescott in Britain, with his 18 starts encompassing five wins and a notable sixth in the Ebor last time out.
Subsequently purchased by OTI Racing and sent to Eustace, Sea King was well supported for the 12-furlong contest, with jockey Declan Bates riding with supreme confidence, allowing Sea King to stride on round the field approaching the turn for home before pulling well clear in the straight.
Eustace and OTI Racing teamed up to finish fifth with Docklands in last Saturday’s Cox Plate and the trainer was delighted to see travelling companion Sea King sparkle on his Australian bow.
“It’s incredibly exciting. A lot was riding on it, it’s the last win-and-you’re-in (spot) for the Cup, so it’s an absolute dream result today,” Eustace told www.racing.com.
“I’d just like to thank (OTI’s) Terry (Henderson) in particular, he managed to buy this horse just before Docklands travelled down as well and it’s proving a pretty inspired purchase.
“Curiously, coming down, we never even thought we’d get close (to a Cup Spot) and, of course, since we’ve been here the Cup, as everyone is well aware, has really started cutting up, so the closer we got to getting in, the more pressure there was I suppose.”
Eustace also praised the winning jockey, adding: “It was just a beautiful ride from Dec Bates.
“We picked him because hopefully he’d understand the European style and it wouldn’t be a sit and sprint.
“It (the mid-race move) felt like it was quite a long way out, but I was very keen to impress on him that he was more of a typical European-type horse and he’s going to work his way into it.
“He took me at my word and it came off today.”
Impressive Cox Plate victor Via Sistina had been towards the head of the Melbourne Cup betting, but owner Yulong Investments has decided to bypass the two-mile Flemington highlight in favour of sticking at 10 furlongs for the Champions Stakes on Saturday week.
“We would desperately love to win a Melbourne Cup and we’ve probably got the best chance we’re ever going to have,” said Yulong’s general manager Vin Cox.
“But at the end of the day, the ultimate goal wasn’t the Melbourne Cup, it was the Cox Plate.
“The Melbourne Cup was then a bit of an afterthought, rather than the primary motivator and afterthoughts tend not to end well on a racetrack.
“We all had to get our feet back on the ground, take all the emotion out of it and look at it analytically.”
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Harry Eustace is plotting a two-pronged assault on some of Australia’s biggest races with Docklands and Sea King.
Being owned by Australian-based syndication company OTI Racing, Docklands was always slated for a trip to the Southern Hemisphere.
Last year’s Britannia Stakes winner at Royal Ascot has performed with credit in some high-class contests this term, notably when chasing home Charyn in the Queen Anne Stakes.
Sea King was last seen finishing a staying-on sixth in the Ebor under the care of Sir Mark Prescott but the five-time scorer has since switched to Park Lodge Stables, albeit briefly.
Eustace told Grosvenor Sport: “Docklands is heading to Australia in a week’s time, where he’ll go into quarantine in preparation for his run in the Cox Plate.
“We’ve just got to mind him now and keep him happy and healthy before the race on October 26. He’ll be quarantined at Werribee, where they have a training facility for the international horses.
“Moonee Valley is a tough course, but Docklands has always been a strong-travelling horse and usually if you travel around tracks like that then you can handle it. We’re hopeful it won’t be a problem.
Harry Eustace and winning connections of Docklands at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA).
“Sea King will travel over to Australia with Docklands. He’s a horse that is relatively new to us having come from Sir Mark Prescott’s.
“It was an encouraging run from him in the Ebor last time and he shaped there as though he’d stay further – he was keeping on all the time and I think he galloped out well to the line.
“Being a good, strong stayer will make him competitive down under. He’s fit and ready to go after his run at York and we’re just keeping him ticking over now.
“He’ll run in something like the Geelong Cup or the Werribee Cup, which are win-and-you’re-in races for the Melbourne Cup and that will dictate where he ends up.
“He’s been bought to stay in Australia once he’s run for us a couple of times, whereas the plan is to come home with Docklands.”
Eustace is also ready to travel with Ascot Stakes runner-up Divine Comedy, although her journey will be much shorter.
Divine Comedy in winning action at Haydock in May (Nigel French/PA).
The trainer added: “The plan is very much to go to the Irish Cesarewitch with Divine Comedy, rather than the Newmarket version, at the moment.
“It’s worth a lot more, and I think the track and hopefully the going will suit. She loves soft ground and she stayed two miles and four furlongs well at Ascot on better ground, so I think two miles and two furlongs on softer ground should be ideal conditions for her.
“She hasn’t really had her conditions since winning at Haydock in May and hopefully there is a bit more to come from her with some cut back in the ground. She’s been great for us this year.”
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Eustace is keeping his options open over where he points her next, with races at the Curragh and Ayr on her radar.
“She ran great. Obviously it was her first try at black type and she looked well up for it,” he said.
“I think more than anything, bar Leovanni, who was a breeze-up filly herself, probably if she’d had an extra run from an experience point of view that was probably the big telling point on the day.
“I’m not sure on the plans (entered in Super Auction Sales Stakes at the Curragh). We will keep an eye on the Firth of Clyde at Ayr and go for another black-type race or go for the sales race. We haven’t really decided yet. We’ve got a bit of time to work that one out.”
Eustace is expecting a big step forward as he ponders future pans.
He added: “It’s whether she strengthens up and stays at six or shapes like she’ll stay further.
“I suspect she’ll have a try over seven in a (Classic) trial and that will sort of tell us where we are, but she’s always been a filly we thought would mature and improve from two to three, which is exciting for us.”
Docklands after winning the Britannia Stakes last year (John Walton/PA)
Eustace was happy with Docklands as he tried his luck at a mile and a quarter for the first time in a red-hot renewal of the Juddmonte International.
The four-year-old was not disgraced as galloped home 11 and a half lengths adrift of City Of Troy and is now set for Australia and the Cox Plate.
Eustace said: “He ran a solid enough race in what was an amazing race to be a part of.
“It was his first try at a mile and a quarter and we just wanted to see how he would be at that trip and we felt he saw the trip out pretty well.
“It was a hard race to get involved in from anywhere near the back and he sort of ran on well enough to suggest that a mile and a quarter was no problem.
“He is in the process of heading to Melbourne for the Cox Plate. They (Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and Champion Stakes entries) were very much from a vetting point of view or anything were to happen that stops us travelling to Oz.
“We didn’t want to miss out on having those as back-up opportunities. They are very much plan Bs if Oz doesn’t materialise for whatever reason.”
Divine Comedy winning The Hell Nook Handicap (PA)
Divine Comedy is another Eustace inmate that ran a strong race at York when finishing four and a quarter lengths behind Extensio in the Stayers Handicap.
The Irish Cesarewitch is now the target for the six-year-old mare, who won the Hell Nook Handicap at Haydock in May.
Eustace said: “My preference is for the Irish Cesearawitch.
“I think the track – I thought two miles at York probably from a pace point of view just caught us out a little bit.
“And the level she’s at now from a handicap point of view needs cut in the ground and I thought two miles one at the Curragh hopefully with a bit of cut in the ground could be ideal.
“Frankly it’s worth a hell of a lot more than the English one – it’s worth €600,000 which is a remarkable amount. I’d imagine that very much would be the plan first and foremost.
“We will have a look at the Doncaster Cup to see where we’re at. But from a timing point of view it’s very tough for Ireland, so we’ll see.”
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Harry Eustace is leaning towards the Juddmonte International as a next port of call for Docklands ahead of his Australian foray.
The four-year-old has run three times this season and come home the runner-up on each occasion, missing out on the Paradise Stakes and the Prix de Montretout by narrow margins before heading to Royal Ascot.
There, he was a 10-1 chance for the Queen Anne Stakes and ran a fine race to finish second to Charyn at Group One level, altering the ambition of targets later in the year.
The Cox Plate is the main aim, prior to which the bay could line up in the Juddmonte International at York and after which he may even be bound for Hong Kong.
“He’s great. Oz has always been the plan for him, but after Ascot it probably changed the targets we had in mind,” Eustace said.
Docklands and Hayley Turner after winning the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot last year (John Walton/PA)
“But because Oz was always the plan, he had three relatively quick runs at the start of the year and we are just trying to manage him enough to take down a fresh horse.
“He will run in the Cox Plate. I’d imagine there is another option after the Cox Plate, whether that’s in the (VRC) Champions Stakes (in Melbourne), we will see how he runs, and depending on how he runs, you never know, you might get an invite to Hong Kong on the way back.
“So, he could have a busy end of the year, but seems in good form. It will be a hot race, as it should be, it’s the Juddmonte. The better race we run him in, the better he runs.
“He has every right to be running, and it’s just where the older horses match up with the three-year-olds – and until we take them on, we won’t know.
“We are very much training him towards the Juddmonte. I suppose it will be weather and ground that might alter our options more than how he’s training at home. He’s training as well as ever, and if he can reproduce his Ascot form, he’ll run a big race – where that puts him, we’ll hopefully find out.
“As far as I’m aware, the plan is for him to come back after his raid to Australia. The fact he enjoys the straight track at Ascot is a big plus and there’s a lot to be said for that. That’s certainly the plan, but nothing with horses is set in stone.”
Harry Eustace after winning the Britannia Stakes (John Walton/PA)
Eustace confirmed regular jockey Hayley Turner will be back aboard the four-year-old for the Group One at the Knavesmire, but he will be sourcing a local jockey for the tilt at Cox Plate glory.
“She’ll ride in the Juddmonte. We’ll almost certainly have a local jockey for Australia,” he added.
“Moonee Valley is like Chester, it takes a fair bit of knowing and I would say that is the case. I would imagine, say post-York, we will start to think about who might ride, but let’s get York out the way first.”
The Park Lodge Stables handler is set to be reunited with elder brother David, who has had plenty of success over the last six years as a co-trainer alongside Ciaron Maher in Australia, as his sibling embarks on a sole training career in Hong Kong.
He joked: “I think he plans to come to Oz if we run, which would be exciting. We’ve finally found one good enough to take down and he’s left, which is a bit of a shame!”
Crystal Delight winning at York (Mike Egerton/PA).
Eustace has two further horses possibly set to head to Australia in Crystal Delight and Ziggy, who are both due to line up in the Ebor with an eye on the Caulfield Cup and possibly then the Melbourne Cup, should either secure a place at York.
“They are both good. I have to say both have got an entry (in the Caulfield Cup) because they both look like running in the Ebor, and the Ebor’s a win-and-you’re-in for the Melbourne Cup,” the trainer said when speaking about the pair.
“It was very much best-case scenario, rather than a long-term plan, as if either of them manages to actually win the Ebor and decide to go to Oz, you’d want to be able to run in the Caulfield, so that’s why we did that.”
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Docklands has the Cox Plate in his sights after the brave decision by trainer Harry Eustace was rewarded in the Queen Anne.
The four-year-old was a Royal Ascot winner last season, landing the Britannia Stakes on a memorable day for his young handler.
Ascot seems to suit Docklands, who has never been unplaced there and was second in the Paradise Stakes on his first start of the season when beaten only a neck.
He then headed to Longchamp to finish second in Listed company, after which connections took the plunge and stepped him up to Group One level to contest the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot instead of his Listed alternative in the Wolferton.
Docklands (centre) ran a tremendous race in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot (David Davies/PA)
Under Hayley Turner he ran a fine race, beating all bar impressive winner Charyn.
“I was delighted, we had him in the Wolferton as well but we took the chance, with his straight course form, in a Group One,” Eustace said of the run.
“For him to look as competitive as he did was incredibly exciting and though he’s been a lot of fun up until now he’s clearly going to be a lot more fun still.”
Docklands is Australia-bound and has Victoria-based owners in OTI Racing, with his Ascot run inspiring a more ambitious target in the Southern Hemisphere as the Cox Plate is now the likely aim.
“Australia is the plan, but his target has probably changed since that run, we were going to target a race called the Five Diamonds, but I would say our priority is the Cox Plate,” Eustace said.
Hayley Turner has struck up a fine partnership with Docklands (John Walton/PA)
“He is owned now by OTI and it would be huge for them to have a competitive runner in there.
“His next race will probably be at the York Ebor meeting – I would imagine he’ll go in the Strensall, but he does have an entry in the Juddmonte as well.
“We’ll just track it through and see what happens, we’re quite looking forward to stepping him up in trip.
“I don’t know if he will run between York and Australia because it can start to happen quite quickly as their quarantine is a month, the Cox Plate is in October so that eats into September and York is in August – suddenly it all starts happening.
“I would imagine he’ll have just the one run at the Ebor meeting and it’ll be between one of those two races.”
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Hayley Turner was proud of the performance of Docklands after the pair combined to fill the runner-up spot in the curtain-raising Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The record-breaking female rider has enjoyed four previous winners at Flat racing’s showpiece meeting, her most recent coming aboard Docklands in the Britannia Handicap 12 months ago.
Harry Eustace’s stable star has proven himself effective over the course and distance on several occasions, also finishing third in the Balmoral Handicap on Champions Day in October and second on his return to action in the Listed Paradise Stakes last month.
The four-year-old faced a step up in class for this Group One contest and while he was unable to keep tabs on the impressive 100-30 favourite Charyn, Docklands rewarded his connections by finishing comfortably best of the rest, beaten just over two lengths.
“That was a really good run, it’s just a shame to miss out. He deserved it and we really thought he had a chance,” said Turner.
“Annoyingly I never felt I was going to get to the winner, but I can’t fault him. I’m so pleased and the connections are so happy, he’s definitely got a Group One in him.
“The tracks he’s not performed well at are Goodwood in a small field and France with a slow pace. He’s such a strong traveller and he likes to be buried in amongst them, he can creep into it on the straight here. I’m just hoping he doesn’t go to Australia!”
As Docklands carries the colours of Australian-based owners OTI Racing, he is set for a trip to the southern hemisphere later in the year.
Docklands (right) chases home Charyn in the Queen Anne Stakes (John Walton/PA)
“Very, very proud. He’s been an absolute star for us. He ran super, he really did. He just keeps turning up for us, he loves this track,” said Eustace.
“Dropping in with plenty of runners is what he needs and he hasn’t had that yet this year. It was a standout effort and we were just second best.
“We were confident in the way he was training at home and we knew he’d improve for it (his last run). We were confident coming here, it was just a question of running him the right race and hopefully we have, we’ll see!
“The Wolferton was the alternative but it’s on the round course and you need a lot more racing luck on there.
“We’re very happy with him and now we just have to make him a winner this year. We haven’t thought past this, Australia has always been an end-of-year target and we’ll work backwards from that.”
Maljoom finished an honourable third for William Haggas and Tom Marquand.
The five-year-old had made it to the track just twice since his fast-finishing fourth in the St James’s Palace Stakes two years ago, but he served notice there may still be a big prize on his horizon with a pleasing performance.
“He’s obviously bounced back to that solid Group One form that we knew he had, but hoped he’d remain at,” said Marquand.
“It looks like we will get him right back to the force of what he was looking like at one point. He’s not had much racing and I think he has just been a little bit rusty – he looks the best he has done for a long time. He’s coming back.”
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Harry Eustace has hinted that Docklands will take his place in the opening Queen Anne Stakes when Royal Ascot kicks off on Tuesday.
The four-year-old also holds an entry in the Wolferton Stakes later on the card, but the preference for the Newmarket handler is the Group One contest.
With long-time ante-post favourite Inspiral now likely to swerve the Queen Anne, Eustace is ready to take his chance at the highest level for the first time with Hayley Turner in the plate.
Docklands was narrowly beaten by Quddwah in a Listed Queen Anne trial last month under Oisin Murphy, with Simon and Ed Crisford’s charge also now missing the race after meeting with a setback.
Turner has twice partnered the Massaat colt to victory at the Berkshire track, guiding him home in handicap company before stepping up in class to win the Britannia Stakes by half a length at last year’s meeting.
Eustace said: “Hayley rides Docklands, and he almost certainly goes in the Queen Anne.
“I thought for the Wolferton it came up hot enough and it looks like Inspiral is off to the Prince of Wales’s.
“And for the Queen Anne it is probably not the strongest renewal so a straight mile for him will suit.”
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Harry Eustace is debating stepping Docklands up to 10 furlongs at Royal Ascot rather than take up his entry in the Queen Anne Stakes.
Winner of the Royal Hunt Cup last season, he went on to finish a fine third in the Balmoral Handicap on Champions Day off a 10lb higher mark.
This term he has been narrowly beaten in two Listed races over a mile, most recently in France, but Eustace feels there may be more value in running in the Wolferton Stakes over a mile and a quarter than shooting for the stars in the Queen Anne.
“He ran super. Obviously it is quite frustrating as we feel like he should have won. I haven’t decided where he goes yet,” said Eustace.
Docklands was victorious at Royal Ascot last year (John Walton/PA)
“I’ve always wanted to try the Wolferton, but Hayley (Turner) wasn’t so sure after France about the 10 furlongs, but I feel like he had to make a big effort on tough ground to get to the winner.
“If he was smuggled into it over a mile and a quarter, which you could do on the sharp, round track at Ascot, he’s then got that turn of foot.
“I would rather do that but Audience winning the Lockinge has thrown the Queen Anne wide open. I just feel like he has to have won a Listed race to go for a Group One but we’ll see, the owners (OTI Racing) are very sporting.”
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A return to York in August is likely to be top of the agenda for Crystal Delight after he benefited from a fine front-running ride from Jim Crowley in the Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Jorvik Stakes.
With the winner guaranteed a spot in the £500,000 Ebor later in the summer, competition is always hot in the mile-and-a-half contest, but Crowley dominated it from pillar to post.
Raised 9lb after an easy win at Epsom under similar tactics, he has taken his form to a new level since joining Harry Eustace from the retired William Jarvis.
Sent off the 18-5 favourite, Crowley was handed an easy time on the front end and while Kihavah did his best to chase him down in the straight, Crystal Delight was not for catching and had pulled four and three-quarter lengths clear by the time he passed the line.
Another hefty rise from the handicapper surely awaits, but the five-year-old is clearly on the crest of a wave.
Eustace said: “If you’d envisaged a way for the race to be run that was it and I thought the draw (stall 10) was a help as it gives you the space and the time to go where you want. Once he got the lead, he just got into a lovely rhythm and he’s all about rhythm this horse.
“At the start of the year I thought a mile and six would be within his remit and the Ebor is certainly on the radar. It’ll be hard, but I’d love to give it a try and I think it’ll be the plan.
“I don’t know (about Royal Ascot), ridden that way is how he really enjoys it and I’m not sure Ascot would suit. We’ll work back from the Ebor probably, rather than Ascot.
“William kindly gave us the nod, he told us all about the horse and that’s helped in his training and we bear the fruits of it today, I suppose.”
Aleezdancer scoots clear under Neil Callan (Mike Egerton/PA)
Aleezdancer provided trainer Kevin Ryan with back-to-back victories in the Churchill Tyres Handicap.
Successful 12 months ago with Bielsa, the Hambleton handler this year fired a twin assault, with 14-1 shot Aleezdancer joined by stablemate Magical Spirit, a recent winner at Doncaster.
Popular veteran sprinter Dakota Gold looked as though he may secure a seventh course win after striking the front, but Aleezdancer finished the stronger to prevail by a length and a half.
Jack Berry jointly owns the sprinter with John Matthews and not surprisingly suggested where he would like him to run in September.
Ryan said: “To be honest I wasn’t sure if we’d run on the ground but I thought it would be safe and it turns out it’s on the slow side of good.
“We put some blinkers on as he’s been around a while and he’s starting to get a bit cute but he’s very genuine.
“Neil said he was actually lazy in the first furlong but he gave him a reminder and he came good. After that he travelled lovely and they went so quick they were never going to keep going. I was confident from a furlong out.
“I worked for Jack for a pittance for years so it’s nice he’s involved!”
Berry said: “We’ve had winners at York before. We won the seller one year and Mick Easterby was interested in buying it but he was terrified to bid!
“He could go for the Stewards’ Cup, he was unlucky in it last year but to be honest as long as he ends up at Ayr, I’m not bothered where he goes.”
There was a sad postscript to the race as Mick Appleby’s Hispanic suffered a severe leg injury in the early stages and had to be euthanised.
Diligent Resdev lunged late to claim a last-gasp victory in the Conundrum HR Consulting Handicap.
Diligent Resdev and Joanna Mason (right) in full flight (Mike Egerton/PA)
Ziggy’s Condor looked home for all money after taking a couple of lengths out of the field, but he was unable to resist the late charge of Mick and David Easterby’s 40-1 shot Diligent Resdev, with a short head separating the pair where it mattered.
Winning rider Joanna Mason said: “It means a lot to get a winner at the first meeting of the year at York for my granddad and uncle at our local track.
“Things are going really well for me at the minute but I couldn’t tell you why! It’s the horses that are in good form, I’m just doing the steering. I’m just thankful to everyone.
“I didn’t think I was going to get there to be honest, I thought they’d gone quick but he tried his heart out and got up on the line. He’s so straightforward and chilled out for his third run.”
There was a racecourse whisper before the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes that Richard Fahey’s Shadow Army was above average and it proved spot on – but only narrowly.
Shadow Army (gold cap) justified favouritism (Mike Egerton/PA)
The 9-2 joint-favourite hit the front inside the final furlong and looked to have it sewn up only for Francisco’s Piece to throw down a strong challenge that only failed by a short head.
Fahey said: “He’s a pretty smart horse. I know he made hard work of it but I always find the better ones get beat!
“He’ll improve a tonne. Put it this way, if he’d have fallen out of the back of the TV, we’d have been in trouble.
“He’s a gent of a horse, he does everything easily and we haven’t really got to him yet. I’m definitely thinking of Ascot but I’d love to get another run into him.
“I wouldn’t be afraid to go six furlongs but I was quite happy to run him over five as well.”
Dancing In Paris (9-2 favourite) was a cosy winner of the concluding Stuey Weston & Friends Getting Out Handicap.
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Hayley Turner gained a fourth Royal Ascot success after producing Docklands with a tremendous rattle up the stands rail to collar New Endeavour in the closing strides of the Britannia Handicap.
The field split for the mile event with the far side looking most likely to prevail, as New Endeavour and David Egan looked to have poached a winning lead inside the final furlong.
Yet Turner’s mount, who had gone up a stone in the handicap after the Harry Eustace-trained colt had won on handicap debut on the all-weather at Kempton, powered up the rail to prevail as the 6-1 favourite.
New Endeavour, sent off a 22-1 chance for trainer Roger Varian, won his race in the far side, with Urban Sprawl (50-1) and Thunder Ball (66-1) following him home and filling the minor honours.
Turner said: “I honestly didn’t know until they called the photo whether I had won or not because the two horses were so far apart.
“It’s such a thrill and today a lot of history has been made, so to look back on today is amazing.”
Eustace – brother of Melbourne Cup-winning trainer David Eustace – said: “Terry Henderson of OTI Racing (owners) has been a supporter of mine, and of my brothers in Australia, from the get-go, really, and to be able to repay him with a Royal Ascot winner is very special.
“It’s always a team effort, but it’s a family business as well, but having my brother here from Oz, and my cousin and aunt and uncle – it’s very, very special. You can’t ask for more.”
The Richard Hannon-trained Witch Hunter came from the clouds to lift the Buckingham Palace Stakes under a classic ride from Jamie Spencer.
The four-year-old has finished second three times since the turn of the year, but with his only two previous victories coming on the all-weather at Wolverhampton he was a 50-1 shot for another devilishly difficult handicap over the straight seven furlongs.
As is his wont, Spencer played his hand as late as he dared, with Witch Hunter still nearer last than first entering the final furlong.
But not long after the well-fancied Croupier was produced to lead, Spencer and his willing partner came at him fast and late to get up and claim a last-gasp victory.
Hannon said: “Jamie’s given him a lovely ride – I hate the way he rides, why does he keep doing that to us?!
“He gave him a super ride and the horse kind of enjoyed that. When he passes one he gets his momentum. And when they pass him, sometimes he just goes, sod it, I’ll go another day. He’s a very good horse on his day and I don’t care what price he is.
I’m delighted for William (Stobart, owner), he’s a lovely man, and his wife Clare.
“I kind of needed that!”
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Al Agaila bids to complete her hat-trick in the talkSPORT Winter Oaks at Lingfield on Saturday.
Following three placed efforts last summer, Simon and Ed Crisford’s filly bolted up when opening her account at Kempton last month before following up in similarly impressive style in the Winter Oaks Trial over this course and distance just before Christmas.
An 11lb hike makes life significantly tougher, but a bold bid can nevertheless be expected in the £100,000 all-weather feature of Lingfield’s Winter Million Festival.
“She went up 11lb for her win last time out, when she won very impressively. She’s an improving filly, but 11lb is a big hike,” said Ed Crisford.
“She has a good draw (stall two). It’s a big step up, but if she can carry the 11lb extra then I’m sure she’s capable of better things.
“She’s potentially an exciting filly.”
The Harry Eustace-trained Makinmedoit was beaten two and a half lengths into second place by Al Agaila little over four weeks ago and does have a significant pull at the weights.
“Makinmedoit has been a star really and just keeps on improving,” said Eustace.
Makinmedoit (red cap) chases home Al Agaila at Lingfield (Zac Goodwin/PA)
“We’re 10lb better at the weights with the Crisford horse, which probably won’t be enough, but we came from a long way back that day and there’s less runners this time round, which is extraordinary given the prize-money.
“If we could just sit a bit closer, you never know.”
Eustace has a second string to his bow in At A Pinch, who has not run on the Flat since 2021 but is fit from a recent spell over obstacles.
Eustace added: “With At A Pinch, the money was just too good not to roll the dice with her. She was bought to be a hurdler, but she’s got Flat form and there’s no reason why she can’t run a race.
“I was actually looking at the prize-money for Cheltenham the other day and if she was the very best hurdler we had going there, she’d be running for £125,000 added prize-money and she can run for £100,000 added in an eight-runner fillies’ handicap, so we’ll just see how we go.
“It’s extraordinary there’s less runners this time round than for the trial race a month ago. Everyone moans about prize-money, they put it on and no one goes for it, but there we are.”
Another trainer firing a twin assault is Charlie Fellowes, with top-weight Purple Ribbon joined by stablemate Tequilamockingbird.
Purple Ribbon steps back into a fillies’ handicap after finishing second to the highly-rated Belloccio in the Listed Wild Flower Stakes at Kempton in November, while Tequilamockingbird was only a short head behind Makinmedoit when third in the Winter Oaks Trial.
“Purple Ribbon is a very lightly-raced filly, but she’s very consistent. Barring an unfortunate run around Lingfield, she’s not finished out of the first two,” said Fellowes.
“She ran a blinder last time out in a pretty competitive Listed race. She’s got the class in the race, but she has to give weight away to everyone, which will be tough.
“But she’s a pretty good filly and I’ve got no concerns about the drop back to 10 furlong as she’s got plenty of speed, so I’m looking forward to seeing her run.
“Tequilamockingbird is a model of consistency and has a very good record around Lingfield – 10 furlongs around there is literally perfect for her.
“She was a bit unlucky last time out when they went absolutely no gallop and off a stronger pace, she goes in there with a nice each-way squeak.”
Charlie Fellowes is delighted with the prize-money on offer at Lingfield (Mike Egerton/PA)
Fellowes was keen to give praise to Lingfield’s owners Arena Racing Company for putting on such huge prize-money at a time when owners are struggling to resist huge offers from abroad.
He added: “You’ve got to give all credit to ARC. It’s prize-money like this that will encourage people to keep horses in training and Tequilamockingbird is a perfect example of that, as she was due to be sold at the mares sale last year and I managed to persuade the owners to remove her from the sale and keep her in training over the winter for a crack at this.
“That is what everyone wants – to see horses kept in training in Britain. We have a fantastic industry and it’s frustrating for a lot of people that the cream of our horses tend to get sold abroad.
“The more of this (prize-money) we can get, the more we can keep horses in training and rebuff these ridiculous offers we’re getting from abroad.
“It’s all down to prize-money and the more money we can offer, the more we can attract our owners to keep horses here and the stronger our industry will be.”
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