Harry Eustace Embarks on Australian Campaign with Docklands and Sea King

Harry Eustace has the pairs Docklands and Sea King in good shape for some of the world's major races in Australia as he prepares them for some of the country's premier races. Both horses will be shipped to the Southern Hemisphere soon, not too long from now, to make their runs for some of the top events, including the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup qualifiers. With OTI Racing, a syndication company based in Australia, owning Docklands, this campaign could prove an exciting and ambitious part of Eustace's career as he looks to see how his runners are faring on the international stage.

Docklands is, of course, no stranger to fans of racing, but on Australian soil, he was always likely to come good. He achieved a notable victory last summer when running in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot, which indicated he was more than good enough with those around him—at least in that elite section. More recently, Docklands completed an impressive second to Charyn in the Queen Anne Stakes, pushing his credentials further. Now, the four-year-old gelding is heading off to the Werribee quarantine for the highly-awaited Cox Plate on October 26.

What a start to Royal @Ascot! Charyn wins the Queen Anne Stakes! pic.twitter.com/CYVwtR8tm6

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 18, 2024

Speaking of Docklands, Eustace showed his confidence in the horse for the challenging Moonee Valley circuit, where the Cox Plate is held. "Moonee Valley is a tough course, but Docklands has always been a strong traveling horse," said Eustace. "Normally, if you can travel well, you cope with courses like that. Hoping it won't be an issue."

Accompanying Docklands on the trip down under will be Sea King, a horse relatively new to Eustace's yard but one that is already paying big dividends. Sea King came to Eustace after being reaped from Sir Mark Prescott, and their owners last saw him producing a strong staying performance to place sixth in the Ebor at York. His prospects down under are bright, too, as Sea King chases a temporary posting to Park Lodge Stables.

"It was an encouraging run from Sea King in the Ebor," said Eustace. "He went on well and galloped out strongly to the line, which is giving us confidence that he will stay." Being a good, strong stayer will make him competitive in Australia. Sea King will aim at races such as the Geelong Cup and Werribee Cup, both of which qualify for the Melbourne Cup. Eustace said Sea King is ready to run and his future is most likely going to be based in Australia if he runs well in the initial races. "Sea King has been bought to stay in Australia once he's run for us a couple of times, whereas the plan is for Docklands to return home," he added.

While his Australian adventure holds center stage, Eustace is also getting Divine Comedy ready for an even closer test. The mare was a runner-up in the Ascot Stakes and is being aimed at the Irish Cesarewitch later this autumn. She must look well up for it, as Eustace feels the Irish version, as opposed to the Newmarket Cesarewitch, offers the ideal conditions for Divine Comedy, who prefers soft ground. She loves soft ground, and I think the Irish Cesarewitch will suit her well," Eustace said. "She stayed two miles and four furlongs on better ground at Ascot, so two miles and two furlongs on softer ground should be perfect for her.

With Divine Comedy building up for her next big race and both Docklands and Sea King set to make their mark in Australia, Harry Eustace is going into an exciting phase of his career. There's a real commitment behind each campaign to keep his horses fit and manage their international journeys, and fans and connections alike will be keenly awaiting how this promising stable performs on both local and global stages.