3 minute read
Trainer and jockey quotes following the Group 3 Apiam Bendigo Cup won by Sea King at Bendigo on Wednesday.
Race Result:
1st: Sea King (Harry Eustace/Declan Bates) - $5.50
2nd: Berkeley Square (Dan O'Sullivan/Jaylah Kennedy) - $6
3rd: Star Vega (Anthony & Sam Freedman/Billy Egan) - $11
Winning Time: 2:27.82 Last 600m: N/A
Margins: 3-¾ lengths X Head
UK visitor Sea King destroys his rivals in the Bendigo Cup
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 30, 2024
Congratulations to @H_Eustace & @decbates pic.twitter.com/d5ycejS9FO
Winning Trainer: Harry Eustace
On winning a feature Cup in Australia: "It's incredibly exciting. A lot was riding on it, it's the last win-and-you're-in for the Cup, so it's an absolute dream result today.
"I'd just like to thank Terry (Henderson) in particular, he managed to buy this horse just before Docklands travelled down as well and it's proving a pretty inspired purchase.
On winning rider Declan Bates: "It was just a beautiful ride from Dec Bates. We picked him because hopefully he'd understand the European style and it wouldn't be a sit-and-sprint. He just gave him a great ride and rode him full of coincidence.
On getting into the Melbourne Cup: "Curiously, coming down, we never even thought we'd get close and, of course, since we've been here the Cup, as everyone is well aware, has really started cutting up, so the closer we got to getting in the more pressure there was I suppose."
On his surge around the field before straightening: "It felt like it was quite a long way out, but I was very keen to impress on him that he was more of a typical European-type horse and he's going to work his way into it. He took me at my word and it came off today."
Winning Owner: Terry Henderson (OTI Racing)
On winning a big race so soon after purchase: "I think it's about eight weeks now but for Harry to get a horse off Mark Prescott and really get the horse to settle. We set up here as a galloping partner for Docklands but he's just thrived at Werribee.
"The stats of his record during trackwork have been great and great credit to Harry and his team to present him like this today."
On confidence heading to Bendigo: "I think we probably got more confidence out of the fact that he was working with a Group 1 horse and it was terrific to see what the other horse (Docklands) did the other day, but that Ebor form is always good form."
On his place in the Melbourne Cup: "It was never the intention to have him here for the Cup, to be honest, but the way he'd trained on and the attrition rate for the Cup has now given him a chance if the handicapper gives him half-a-kilo."
Winning Jockey: Declan Bates
On the win: "We were hoping to be forward in the run, but he lacked that bit of tactical early speed so I had to just work on getting him to settle from then and he travelled very strongly in the run and any time the tempo came out of it he just wanted to get going.
"I tried to nurse him as long as I could but from about the 1000 I just tried to slowly build into it, but he's just probably got that bit of class compared o a lot of these.
"He basically just nicely worked into the race, we got the front a lot earlier than I would have liked, but I think I was just on the superior stayer."
On the training performance of Harry Eustace: "You can't overstate it, it's hard enough to come all the way down here with a horse you probably know really well, but for him to get a horse that is only new to his care and bring it down (is amazing).
"I said to him in the mounting yard beforehand, he looked a million dollars and he raced accordingly."
On whether he could ride in the Cup and his chances in that race: "It'd want to be a pretty big penalty for me (to be able to ride him) but best of luck to them and I think he'll be running a massive race."
