Eustace brothers set to go head-to-head on Golden Slipper day
When Yogi (Raise The Flag) and British raider Young Rascal (Intello) clash in tomorrow’s N E Manion Cup (Gr 3, 2400m) at Rosehill, two brothers who work on opposite sides of the globe will be going head–to–head in an all-family affair on one of the biggest days on the Australian racing calendar.
Many of us are well familiar with David Eustace, who trains in partnership with Ciaron Maher, but tomorrow his older brother Harry, the assistant trainer to William Haggas in Newmarket, will saddle the five-year-old gelding in the Group 3 as well as favourite Addeybb (Pivotal) in the Ranvet Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) two races later.
It’s a day the pair never saw coming, to both be presenting runners on the same raceday in the southern hemisphere, but they’re equally excited while eager to see who fares best in the Manion Cup.
“It’s definitely not something we thought would happen a year or so ago so it was exciting when he said he was coming out,” David told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“It’s been difficult to get up there (to Sydney) but I’m going up there tomorrow (Friday) so it will be a really good day. I’m sure mum and dad will be cheering from Racing NSW on the laptop.
“We didn’t really think we’d have a runner against each other until yesterday (Wednesday) so there will be a bit of a rivalry but in a funny sort of way I’ll be hoping his horse does very well.”
When asked if there would be a sibling rivalry, Harry said: “One hundred per cent. We both want to win. If neither win, it will still be about who finishes ahead of who.”
“I think we’re in an industry where luckily hard work usually pays off and when you put that amount of effort in, that makes you competitive. You can’t work hard at something and then not care about the end result and we learnt that from dad.”
Working on opposite sides of the globe has meant they haven’t had too many opportunities to go head-to-head as adults so there has been little to be competitive about, but as children, they both agree that there were some good rivalries as amateur riders and in various sports.
“When we were younger, yes (we were competitive) but I think now we’ve grown out of that,” David said.
“We’re competitive people but I don’t think we’re necessarily overly competitive against each other. We just want the best for each other whether it’s with horses, or anything else, but it wasn’t much fun when we were younger.
“We were pretty competitive in cricket, rugby and hockey.
“I’d say Harry has probably gone past me in all of those things now but I was the early leader. I peaked too soon, I was at my top at 16 whereas Harry would be a fitter, more athletic human being than me right now.”
Harry concluded: “He’s like the Slipper runner and I can come back year after year and knock in a Cox Plate.”
The pair grew up in the stables of their father James at Park Lodge in Newmarket and while training conditions in England and Australia are completely different, Harry believes they share similar philosophies when it comes to preparing racehorses.
“Our general approach and outlook on it is similar, but you’re probably also slightly influenced by who you have worked for and who you’ve learnt from,” Harry said.
“In the main, I’d say we’re fairly similar, speaking out of turn for him, but I think sometimes you can over-complicate it and overthink it but at the end of the day they’re quite simple creatures and if you treat them simply, then sometimes that can get the best results.”
They both also had amateur riding careers, albeit shorts ones, and David is confident he had it over Harry on the track.
“I’d say I was probably the better jockey,” he continued. “I was a little bit smaller and a little bit lighter. Harry is probably the better rider but he was tall and long and was at university so that worked against him, but neither of us had very successful riding careers so there’s not a lot to boast about.”
Harry added: “I mean I had a lot less opportunity because one, I’m taller and two, we used to take it in turns on a horse called Wester Lodge and I was meant to ride him next start and he ran away with Big (David) and did a leg and that was effectively the end of my amateur career. And his, quite frankly.
“Put it this way, he had more rides for no wins so neither of us set the world alight.”
While Harry is not as much of a familiar face around the Australian racing scene as his younger brother, he is not a complete stranger to the industry. He worked for Lee Freedman and Paul Snowden in the past, strapping Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Sepoy (Elusive Quality) at his first ever race start.
He went on to spend two years working for one of the leading trainers in America, Christophe Clement, where he was involved with Belmont Stakes (Gr 1, 12f) winner Tonalist (Tapit).
“We were really lucky, we had a lot of good horses, but we had Tonalist who won the Belmont, stopping California Chrome winning the Triple Crown, and that was an experience I’ll never, ever forget,” Harry said.
“Winning a Triple Crown race at Belmont with a good dirt horse; it took a while to understand American racing but once you do, it’s such a big thrill. It was awesome to be a part of it.”
Following his stint in the US, Harry joined the stable of William Haggas and his wife Maureen at Somerville Lodge in Newmarket and has been involved with multiple Group 1 horses and plenty more impeccably bred ones.
“I’ve been there three and a half, coming up to four years in June, and I was very lucky to join at a time where the yard and his numbers were really on an up and we had a great first year, numbers wise,” he said.
“The following year we had Sea Of Class, One Master, Urban Fox and won four, if not five, Group 1s and it was just a great experience.
“They leave no stone unturned and there’s a huge amount to learn from them.
“Their work ethic and their drive is absolutely second to none and that’s something to be admired, the amount of time they’ve done it, and to be around so many well-bred horses, is what everyone wants to do it for, so it’s been great.
“It culminated with being very lucky to be in the right place at the right time with a trip like this to the Autumn Carnival, which, bar Charlie Appleby, isn’t really on Europe’s radar, so it’s quite fun. It’s a good time of year to do it and fingers crossed we can bring home a result or two.”
His time at Somerville Lodge, though, is coming to an end as he prepares to join his father at Park Lodge Stables at the end of this year, which will eventually see him become a trainer in his own right.
“That is exciting,” Harry said. “It’s what you work towards and it’s why we do what we do. It’s a long process, it takes a lot of jobs and a lot of years to get your licence back home so it will be exciting to get there.”
As for tomorrow, he believes he is heading to Rosehill with two terrific chances in Young Rascal and Addeybb, whose main autumn targets are the Sydney Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) respectively.
“They’re really well, they seem to have settled in great,” Harry said.
“Canterbury has been a fantastic track to train them at but we would ideally love more rain just because we know how effective Addeybb and Young Rascal have been on that ground. I think it will still be soft enough that they can show their best.
“They have been trained with their second races in mind and you’d hope to see a little bit of improvement, which they’ll need to do because they’re stiffer targets, but these are both great starting points for them.”
On the other hand, it’s also a big weekend for David as his team head to Rosehill with four runners in the $3.5 million Golden Slipper.
“Prague I think is the one that’s on the up,” the co-trainer said. “He’s going really well and Tom (Marquand, jockey) seems to get on really well with him and has got a lot of faith in him which I think counts for an awful lot.
“He’s drawn well enough to roll forward and put himself into a handy spot so I think I probably would shade him over Away Game, but she’s drawn the perfect gate for her and she’ll put herself right there and she’s very brave.
“Sticky ground is a bit of an unknown but as a rule, we think she’d probably suit it.”
In case four Slipper runners wasn’t exciting enough, the Maher and Eustace stable will be represented in tonight’s William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Moonee Valley by their star filly Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible).
“I think Gaby can turn the tables on the colt (Bivouac),” he continued.
“Her best win has been there (at Moonee Valley in the Manikato Stakes), but I think we’ve concluded after the Newmarket that she does appear to be more effective around a bend and we’re really looking forward to that.”
Meanwhile, tomorrow, the leading stable has Bons Away (Bon Hoffa) running in the Hareeba Stakes (Listed, 1200m) at Mornington, a race in which the six-year-old gelding finished second last year.
“We’ve freshened him up, he’s been at the beach for three weeks and galloped very strong on Monday,” he said of Bons Away.
“I think he should be able to land in the first six in the run with the good gate (6). We know he’s got a short sprint and he was second in the race last year so we’re hopeful he can bounce back and then push on to probably Adelaide for the Goodwood.”