Eustace in seventh heaven as Time For Sandals delivers trainer second Group 1
Time For Sandals (Sands Of Mali) took the incredible week of her trainer Harry Eustace to another level when she shed her maiden tag in the Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, f) on the fourth day of Royal Ascot.
The stunning victory of OTI Racing’s Docklands (Massaat) in Tuesday’s Queen Anne Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) gave Eustace, now into his fifth season of training, a first Group 1 success, and his elite-level tally doubled in rapid fashion with the filly’s equally rapid performance in the Group 1 sprint for three-year-olds.
Sent off at odds of 25-1 after placed finishes in each of her four prior starts, the filly sliced through the field under Richard Kingscote, just prevailing on the farside to beat Arizona Blaze (Sergei Prokofiev) by a neck, with another half a length back to Rayevka (Blue Point) in third.
“It was very smooth in that we’d planned to follow the American horse [Shisospicy]. Prior to today the draw was a concern but with the first race winner coming from a low draw it gave us the confidence to stay with our plan; we didn’t have much choice anyway,” said Eustace, who also signed for the filly in conjunction with DPA for €35,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale.
“She’d just been training very well and a good strong pace to aim at was what she needed and Richard gave her a fantastic ride – I’m really pleased for him. The horses have trained super all year and that’s all credit to the staff at home; they’ve just turned up here in perfect shape.
“You have to be very careful with Ascot because if you start getting your hopes up it knocks you very quickly. We knew we had good horses coming in good form and then we needed the racing luck.”
Seven for Australia
Coolmore Stud-based sire Australia (Galileo) scored his seventh elite-level winner when Cercene (3 f ex Tschierschen by Acclamation) took out the Coronation Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) at Royal Ascot on Friday. Bred by China Horse Club, the filly was bought by Crampscastle Bloodstock for €50,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale in 2023. She is out of the winning Acclamation mare Tschierschen, making her a half-sister to Group 3-placed Perotto (New Bay). Her second dam is Roo (Rudimentary), who produced stakes-placed winner Roodeye (Inchinor), the dam of Sussex Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) winner turned Shadwell Stud-based sire Mohaather (Showcasing) and Group 2 scorer Prize Exhibit (Showcasing), the dam of Group 3 winner History (Galileo). Australia stood the 2025 season for a fee of €10,000 (AU$17,800).
Two for Starman
Karl Burke struck at the royal meeting for the first time this year when Venetian Sun (2 f ex Johara by Iffraaj) landed the Friday’s Albany Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) and in the process became the second individual stakes winner for Tally-Ho’s first-season sire Starman (Dutch Art). Ridden by Clifford Lee, the filly stayed on strongly to beat Awaken (Mehmas) by a length and a half with a further length back to Balantina (Ten Sovereigns) in third. Raced by Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy, Venetian Sun was bought by Todd Investments for 240,000gns out of the Book 1 draft of his breeders Tally-Ho at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. The filly is out of the Group 3-placed winner Johara (Iffraaj), making her a half-sister to Listed-placed winner Sir Yoshi (Mehmas). Further back, this is the same family as Darley shuttler Earthlight (Shamardal). Starman’s has sired nine winners in total and they include Group 3 winner Lady Iman.
First for Sands Of Mali
Ballyhane Stud resident Sands Of Mali scored his first Group 1 winner when Time For Sandals (3 f ex Days Of Summer by Bachelor Duke) sprang a huge surprise in the Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, 6f) at Royal Ascot on Friday. Bought by her trainer and DPA for €35,000 at the 2023 Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, Time For Sandals is out of winning mare Days Of Summer (Bachelor Duke), who is herself out of Group 1 winner Pharaoh’s Delight (Fairy King). Pharaoh’s Delight is also the dam of Pharmacist (Machiavellian), who in turn produced dual Grade 1 scorer Red Rocks (Galileo). Sands Of Mali is also the sire of Group 3 winner Copacabana Sands, and Listed winners Ain’t Nobody and Ellaria Sand. The stallion stood for a private fee in 2025.
Melbourne Cup plan for Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes winner Ethical Diamonds
Willie Mullins has said a crack at the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) could lie in wait for Ethical Diamonds (Awtaad) after he proved too strong his rivals in Friday’s Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (1m 4f) at Royal Ascot. Sent off the well-backed favourite, the five-year-old, who has been plying his trade over jumps, came home impressively under Ryan Moore to beat Mutaawid (Frankel) by two lengths. Naqeeb (Nathaniel) finished a further half a length away in third. “I thought he might have been a bit far back but the horse was keen with Ryan, he said he got a bump and got a bit keen with him but then he got him settled again and he was going well enough turning in to go wherever he wanted,” the trainer said. “Unlike last year when the stalls opened and he just ran too free and things didn’t work out for him but he still ran a cracker to be fourth so I thought if we get things right this year he had a real live chance and it worked out that way. We’ll give him a little break and look at York; that’s normally where we go from here. The Ebor would be possible and we’d love to go to Melbourne. If we can get him qualified, that’d be wonderful.”
No Nay Never again as Never Let Go takes the Sandringham
No Nay Never’s (Scat Daddy) unstoppable week at Royal Ascot continued when the Ed Walker-trained Never Let Go handed the Coolmore Stud stallion his fourth winner of the week by landing the Sandringham Stakes (1m) on Friday. Ridden by Kieran Shoemark, the filly stayed on bravely in the closing stages to beat Cajole (Dubawi) by a length, with Tabiti (Kingman) finishing a further length adrift in third. Bred and raced by Rockcliffe Stud, the filly is out Tai Hang Dragon (Tamayuz), a half-sister to Grade 3 scorer Pasar Silbano (Elnadim), the dam of Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Zousain (Zoustar), who stands alongside his father Zoustar (Northern Meteor) at Widden Stud in the Hunter Valley. No Nay Never’s first winner of the week came when True Love won the Queen Mary Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) on Wednesday, before Charles Dickens delivered the stallion his second in the Norfolk Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) and he chalked up his third when Never So Brave won the Buckingham Palace Stakes (7f).
Well-supported Amiloc lands King Edward VII
Having taken out the Cocked Hat Stakes (Listed, 1m 3f) at Goodwood last month, the Ralph Beckett-trained Amiloc (3 g Postponed – Colima by Authorized) rose to the occasion once again when he took out the King Edward VII Stakes (Gr 2, 1m 4f) at Royal Ascot on Friday. Ridden by Rossa Ryan, the gelding, who is a half-brother to Australian Group 3 winner Brimham Rocks (Fastnet Rock), came home three-quarters of a length ahead of Zahrann (Night Of Thunder) with another two and a quarter lengths back to Galveston (Frankel) in third. The gelding is bred and raced by the Ackroyds, the same operation that produced Dante Stakes (Gr 3, 1m 2.5f) winner Prince Of Arras (Night Of Thunder). “He travelled great and he’s done very well because he hated that ground – it was too lively for him,” said Ryan. “He’s tough and he’s hardy, and it’s great for Mrs Ackroyd who has been a long-standing supporter of racing, a great supporter of mine and I’m just delighted to get the job done. It’s a plan well executed and it’s prevailed. He’s had a busy enough spring and a hard race there on ground that he wasn’t happy on so I’ll leave it to Ralph and everybody at home to decide what they want to do but he’s done nothing wrong yet so we keep going as we’re going.”
Adrestia lands Palace Of Holyrood House Stakes
The Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Adrestia (Havana Grey) continued her upward trajectory when bravely scoring in Friday’s closing race at Royal Ascot, the Palace Of Holyrood House Stakes (5f). Making it a third win from eight starts after two juvenile victories over five furlongs, the unexposed filly came with a strong run under Oisin Murphy to hold off the late challenge of Hammer The Hammer (Coulsty) and score by a length, with the long-prominent Redorange (Mehmas) a further short head back in third place. Whitsbury Manor Stud’s Havana Grey (Havana Gold) was also responsible for last year’s Palace Of Holyrood House Stakes winner Pilgrim.