Harry Eustace is keen to add his name to an illustrious roll of honor of trainers to have won the Cox Plate (G1) and feels his runner Docklands has every chance of success Oct. 26 in an open-looking renewal of the AU$5 million showpiece at Moonee Valley Racecourse.
Coming over from Eustace’s Newmarket base, the Northern Hemisphere 4-year-old will tackle the best Australia has to offer over 2,040 meters (about 1 1/4 miles), while Japanese raider Prognosis also provides an intriguing angle to the time-honored feature.
The gelded son of Massaat arrived in Melbourne in late September, and made a public appearance in a gallop at The Valley last Oct. 17, 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 in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot in June.
His latest start saw him run seventh in the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) at York Aug. 21, a race that has since thrown up the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) heroine Bluestocking and was won by City of Troy , expected to be one of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) favorites.
“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 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 7-year-old by Pride Of Dubai .
“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.”
Free-running speedster Pride Of Jenni wins the All-Star Mile at Caulfield Racecourse
Docklands is owned by Terry Henderson’s OTI Racing, who had I’m Thunderstruck run a close second behind Godolphin’s star 3-year-old Anamoe in the 2022 Cox Plate. The gelding has been drawn on the inside in gate 1, 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 blasé 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 (G2) Aug 18. Pride Of Jenni is on a seven-day back-up and is not certain to get an uncontested lead. Via Sistina has had an odd preparation, unshipping James McDonald in a workout at The Valley Oct. 22. The 3-year-old Broadsiding 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 3-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.
“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.”
