Harry Eustace has expressed his delight with the preparation of Docklands as his stable star gears up for a crack at the Group 1 Cox Plate on Saturday morning.
A winner of last year's Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot, Docklands took his form to a new level as a four-year-old, filling the runner-up spot behind Roger Varian's star miler Charyn in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes back at Ascot in June, before finishing a creditable seventh behind the Breeders' Cup Classic-bound City Of Troy in a red-hot ten-and-a-half-furlong Juddmonte International at York in August.
With a trip to Australia always on the cards for the OTI-owned colt, the $5 million Australian premier weight-for-age Group 1 now awaits the son of Massat, who entered quarantine last month.
"Docklands seems to have travelled to Australia really well. I arrived at the weekend and was delighted when I saw him in quarantine on Monday morning," said Grosvenor Sport ambassador Harry Eustace.
"He had a gallop around Moonee Valley last week and it's all been very smooth, so we're looking forward to Saturday.
"We had him pretty fit before he travelled down under, and we've tried as much as possible to keep him in the same routine as he has at home. Jerome, his regular rider, has been really happy with him, and while it's been a relatively long time since his last run at York, Saturday will very much be the acid test of how he is."
Harry Eustace may not have saddled a runner in Australia in his own right, but there's no doubt he has the pedigree and experience when it comes to knowing what is required to be successful in the Southern Hemisphere, with Eustace's brother David, who is now based in Hong Kong, training Sir Dragonet in partnership with Ciaran Maher to win the Cox Plate in 2020, while Harry himself was responsible for travelling Addeybb and Young Rascal for his old boss William Haggas.
Eustace continues to make his way in the training ranks, the up-and-coming Newmarket-based handler knows full well the significance of winning a race of the Cox Plate's magnitude. "The Cox Plate is a massive race in Australia," said Eustace. "It's their version of the Juddmonte (International), so to travel a horse halfway across the world and compete is huge, and it would be a massive result for us if he were to win."
Docklands, who is a general 12/1 chance for Saturday's Cox Plate, will take on the likes of Japanese raider Prognosis, Australian star mare Pride Of Jenni and the ex-George Boughey-trained Pretty Polly Stakes heroine Via Sistina when he sets foot on Moonee Valley this weekend, but Eustace believes there is 'no obvious standout' when assessing the opposition.
"You can make the case for a lot of his opposition in the race," said Eustace. "It sort of reminds me of this year's Juddmonte, in that there's a big field because a lot of people think they have a chance. Mr Brightside, Pride Of Jenni, Prognosis and Via Sistina all bring in strong form-lines, but I do feel like we match up well with them and there's no obvious standout."
Docklands tilt at the Cox Plate will also mark a momentous occasion for the Australian-based syndicate OTI Racing as they gear up for their first runner in the valuable contest.
"When he won the Britannia last year, we said we'd come to Australia about this time, but we weren't sure what level he'd reach," explained OTI's boss Terry Henderson.
"But as he continued through last year he ran well and when he ran second in the Queen Anne this year, that was enough to convince us he wouldn't be embarrassed in a Cox Plate.
"Probably the swinging door with him was in the Juddmonte, that was his first time out to 2000 metres, and he missed the start, but he finished off well in a race that was run in track record time.
"We thought then, 'he can get the 2000 metres, so we've got a chance."
"Those races at Ascot down the straight, they really do have a lot of pressure on from the word and he's shown consistently he's been able to handle that, so I think with a strong run race he's in it up to his ears."
Eustace added: "Winning the race would be amazing for the yard, but also a massive result for the owners in particular. OTI Racing have been big backers of ours and if we could get them the best result possible that would be fantastic. Let's hope we've got a shout turning in for home!"
