‘We’re very confident about the form he’s shown at Group 1 level this year’
European challenger Docklands out to make history for Harry Eustace in riveting renewal of Cox Plate
Harry Eustace is keen to add his name to an illustrious roll of honour of trainers to have won the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) and feels his runner Docklands (Massaat) has every chance of success in an open-looking renewal of Saturday’s $5 million Group 1.
Coming over from Eustace’s Newmarket base, the northern hemisphere four-year-old will tackle the best Australia has to offer over 2000 metres, while Japanese raider Prognosis (Deep Impact) also provides an intriguing angle into the time-honoured feature.
The gelded son of Massaat (Teofilo) arrived in Melbourne in late September, and made a public appearance in a gallop at The Valley last Thursday where he pleased his trainer.
“He seems to have taken the initial travel down very well,” Eustace told ANZ Bloodstock News. “It’s all felt very smooth since he arrived.
“We were all happy with his gallop at Moonee Valley last week and now it’s just about getting him there on Saturday in one piece and finding out where he matches up.”
Docklands has made four appearances in England this season, finishing runner-up in three of those, including behind Europe’s soon-to-be-crowned champion miler Charyn (Dark Angel) in the Queen Anne Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) at Royal Ascot in June, a horse that has since won both the Prix Jacques le Marois (Gr 1, 1600m) and last weekend’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Gr 1, 1m)
His latest start saw him run seventh in the International Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 2.5f) at York on August 21, a race that has since thrown up the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) heroine Bluestocking (Camelot) and was won by Breeders’ Cup Classic (Gr 1, 10f) favourite City Of Troy (Justify).
“We’re very confident about the form he’s shown at Group 1 level this year, particularly behind Charyn who has since gone on to be the standout miler this year,” Eustace said.
“The obvious sort of, not unknown, but, difference is the mile and a quarter but we’ve always felt it is within his compass and I was very happy with how he ran in the International Stakes at York.
“But, the mile and a quarter around Moonee Valley brings a certain level of tactics and racing that he won’t have been a part of before. I’m very confident that it won’t faze him, but it does require a greater degree of racing luck, I suppose.”
Those tactics may be made easier by the presence of confirmed front-runner Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) in Saturday’s Cox Plate, with the three-time Group 1-winning mare very likely to lead, despite owner Tony Ottobre stating earlier this week that tactics may be changed on the seven-year-old.
“I think everyone is well aware that the whole race benefits from Pride Of Jenni running in it,” Eustace said. “She brings the pace in the race which probably drags the field out a bit and stretches horses, which in turn probably makes the draw slightly less important.
“I’d be amazed if in the biggest race of them all in Australia that they decided to change tactics on her, ones that have been so prolific for her on the big day.
“I’d have thought if she isn’t leading then it’d be something has gone wrong from a tactical point of view, rather than actually choosing to not lead, and then it is very much play your hand from there.”
Docklands is owned by Terry Henderson’s OTI Racing, who had I’m Thunderstruck (Shocking) run a close second behind Godolphin’s star three-year-old Anamoe (Street Boss) in the 2022 Cox Plate, and is a half-brother to OTI’s The Sofitel (Listed, 1400m) winner Harbour Views (Le Havre).
The gelding has been drawn on the inside in gate one, and Eustace revealed securing the services of Blake Shinn in the saddle is a huge plus in a race like the Cox Plate, a decision that Henderson played a large part in.
“We’re drawn in barrier one so we’ll need to be positive enough coming out of the gates so that we don’t end up too far back and then we will leave it up to Blake after that,” Eustace said.
“It was huge [securing Blake Shinn]. I have to say a lot of that was Terry’s doing, he was very on the ball basically from the moment following the Ascot run.
“He said the next target was then York, be it either the International Stakes or Strensall Stakes, but then after that we wanted to be pinning down a jockey.
“Luckily for us we got Blake. He’s riding incredibly well and has that experience that gives you a sort of confidence and, along with all of us, he has a quiet confidence in the horse without being too blase about it.”
Some form of Eustace’s and OTI’s confidence may come from the fact that a few of the leading protagonists, at least betting wise, could be viewed as having a question or two to answer coming into this weekend’s feature.
Prognosis has previously been slow away in his races and was beaten as a long odds-on chance when last seen running fourth in the Sapporo Kinen (Gr 2, 2000m) on August 18, Pride Of Jenni is on a seven-day back-up and is not certain to get an uncontested lead, Via Sistina’s (Fastnet Rock) preparation has been well-documented after she unshipped James McDonald in a workout at The Valley on Tuesday, and the three-year-old Broadsiding (Too Darn Hot) tackles weight-for-age for the first time in his career.
“Look, everyone approaches a race like this. One, believing you’re good enough to win and two, looking at I suppose any weaknesses in the other runners,” Eustace said.
“Pride Of Jenni has her way of going, it’s very straightforward, but it does allow us to be aware of it I suppose and after last year where she was very impressive, maybe she wasn’t getting the full respect she deserved which is something that we’re all now doing this year.
“The Japanese horse has been slowly away on a couple of occasions which is something they’re certainly aware of. Mr Brightside is as rock solid as they come in my opinion and was the smallest of margins away from being a Cox Plate winner last year, so he’s probably the most rock solid horse in the line-up.
“The three-year-olds, big ask, but who knows? So, you know, we all have our own slight holes you could pick but then also every reason to think they could go and win and that’s what makes it so fascinating this year. There isn’t really one or two standouts from the rest and every runner has their pros and cons so to speak.”
On the way the race may play out itself, Eustace admitted that guessing tactics outside of Pride Of Jenni potentially front-running was difficult.
“It’s going to make for a very exciting race, I think most years you can have a picture of how things are going to play out but this year, bar assuming Pride Of Jenni goes from the front, it will be very interesting to see how the race plays out and I’m not sure anyone could say how the race will pan out before it actually starts,” he said.
“There aren’t lots of runners but I think that every single one you can make a very valid case for them being the winner, so there’s a real sort of strength in depth there.”
Moving back to Docklands form this season, Eustace feels the trio of second placings next to his name has nothing to do with the gelding’s resolution in a finish, and more to do with the rivals that have beaten him, although he did admit his slow beginning in the International Stakes was a slight worry racing on this weekend’s tight track.
“All year long we’ve sort of bumped into one,” Eustace admitted. “On paper he’s sort of looked the fancied choice, but then actually in hindsight he’s turned out to have bumped into a good one.
“We’ve never questioned his resolve, that’s just horseracing and it’s hard at that level, but I suppose from our point of view the one concern is that we were slow away at York and the last thing we can do here is be as slow as that.
“We’ve done a little bit of work with him while he’s been out here to sort of check everything is ok, but it’s hard to reproduce raceday environments so it will really be down to Blake to make sure he pops out of the gates ok.
“It’s 200 metres to the first turn so it’s about as short a run to the bend as you can get really, so it’s not just him it’s any one of them that if they’re a step slow they’re already going to be on the back foot from the get-go.”
Eustace revealed that a crack at Flemington’s Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) on November 9 would be the aim should Docklands prove competitive this weekend, before a potential trip over to Hong Kong to take on last year’s Cox Plate hero Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) in the Hong Kong Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) on December 8.
“We’ll see how we run on Saturday, but the sort of dream plan would be that he is either very competitive or better this weekend and then we will aim him at the Champion Stakes at Flemington a fortnight later which is a track we feel could suit us better,” Eustace said.
“And then if we can run well in that, Hong Kong would be on the agenda, but we’ll take each run as they come as there’s plenty to do in between.”
Eustace is, of course, the brother of David Eustace, who famously won the Cox Plate in 2020 with Sir Dragonet (Camelot) when training in partnership with Ciaron Maher, and has recently started his first season training outright in Hong Kong, securing his first winner with Swift Ascend (Lord Kanaloa) at Happy Valley on October 9.
“It was great for Dave to get his first winner,” Eustace said. “He’s taken the big leap into Hong Kong which is a huge challenge, so to get the first winner so early was a big plus.
“If all goes to plan and we end up there it’d be great to see him.
“The Cox Plate speaks for itself, and to have a horse that is even good enough to be invited down, and we think be competitive, is incredibly exciting for us and we’re very much looking forward to being a part of it.”