Harry Eustace says Docklands has earned the right to a Queen Anne title defence despite conceding the Lockinge form has raised the bar significantly ahead of this year’s race.
The Newmarket trainer admitted that watching impressive winner Notable Speech and second More Thunder at Newbury was best done from behind a cushion after the pair posted career bests.
But the prospect of ducking an encounter with the pair at Royal Ascot is simply not an option given his six-year-old is in fine form and is the straight mile title holder at a course he loves.
“The Lockinge generally dictates what the betting of the Queen Anne looks like and yes, compared to last year, there was an impressive winner. I also thought More Thunder in second was impressive first time back as well,” said Eustace.
“So yes it feels like there is more depth to the mile division this year than last at this stage and we are well aware of the task in hand. But equally, we won the race last year and he seems in good form so he has got to go.”
Six-year-old entire Docklands has had a lucrative winter for international syndicate owners OTI Racing, sandwiching a Listed win at Doncaster in March with valuable placed efforts in Group Ones at Sha Tin in December and April.
Those two runs alone netted the better part of £500,000 in placed prize-money so, as Eustace suggested, the horse owes them nothing.
“Obviously he ran super (when beaten three-quarters of a length in third in the FWD Champions Mile) last time and particularly to be so competitive having been labelled a straight track horse.
“I thought that bodes well for the rest of the season.
“The owners turned down big money for him after he won the Britannia and he is repaying that decision not to sell in spades now,” said Eustace.
“So it has all worked out well, he is running well and giving everyone a fantastic time.”