Harry Eustace not getting ahead of himself with Melbourne Cup contender Sea King

British trainer Harry Eustace had refused to let thoughts of winning the Melbourne Cup with Sea King enter his mind in the lead-up to Tuesday’s edition of the great Flemington race.

British trainer Harry Eustace hasn’t dared to think about winning the Melbourne Cup at his first attempt.

Eustace limited his dreams to getting a run in Australia’s greatest race.

Sea King, who landed in Australia along with Eustace’s Cox Plate runner Docklands, gave Eustace a chance to emulate his younger brother David by training a Melbourne Cup winner with his impressive win in the Bendigo Cup.

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David Eustace trained 2022 Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip in partnership with Ciaron Maher before heading to Hong Kong where he has made a bright start to his solo training career.

Now Harry has his turn to chase a Melbourne Cup win with Sea King but he hasn’t let himself daydream about what it would mean to claim the $8m contest.

“It’s a big international race that everyone knows well about,” Eustace said.

“People have set their stall out to try and win it and just to run in it is quite exciting.

“We never really dreamt of thinking much further ahead than that.

“Winning it is not something that we’ve let ourselves consider just yet but it’s a huge race to be a part of.

“I know from my brother winning it and others, what a big impact it could have on you and it would be incredibly exciting if we looked like being competitive turning in(to the home straight).”

Sea King will attempt to give English trainer Harry Eustace his first Melbourne Cup win. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

Sea King has made a rapid rise from an international stayer merely hoping to make the Melbourne Cup field to a respected contender at $10 in Ladbrokes’ betting market.

Eustace said the comprehensive manner of Sea King’s Bendigo Cup win was one factor behind his significant firming in Melbourne Cup betting.

“I think his initial price was based on pre-travel (form),” Eustace said.

“Then his form around (Geelong Cup winner) Onesmoothoperator, the way he did it at Bendigo, coupled with a few fancies not running, a combination of those caused us to come in in the betting.

“I was surprised, that as we got closer to the race (the Bendigo Cup), that he didn’t shorten because if he won he would have got in and I thought the bookmakers might have covered themselves.”

UK visitor Sea King destroys his rivals in the Bendigo Cup 👑

Congratulations to @H_Eustace & @decbates 🤝 pic.twitter.com/d5ycejS9FO

— Racing.com (@Racing) October 30, 2024

Sea King had the Bendigo Cup in his keeping on the home turn before scoring by almost four lengths but the gelding must back up in six days, almost unheard of in the UK, to win the Melbourne Cup.

Eustace said Tuesday would provide the true answer but Sea King had shown every indication that he had done well since the Bendigo Cup.

“He seems to have come out of Bendigo very well and had a little leg stretch (on Sunday) morning,” Eustace said.

“Everything we’ve seen, we’re very happy with but we won’t really know how he’s come out of Bendigo until we run him on Tuesday.”

British rider Hollie Doyle will travel from the Breeders’ Cup meeting to ride Sea King in the Melbourne Cup.

Doyle rode Future History in last year’s Melbourne Cup, finishing 15th, but she will have the benefit of barrier one this year.

“(Barrier) one actually allows us to be fairly neutral away and get a bit of cover and switch him off,” Eustace said.

“We’ll be worrying about the first mile, and if he does that right, Hollie can worry about the second mile.”

Originally published as Harry Eustace not getting ahead of himself with Melbourne Cup contender Sea King