Docklands, owned by OTI Racing, reaffirmed his love for Royal Ascot by giving jockey Mark Zahra and trainer Harry Eustace a dream start to the iconic racing carnival with victory in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes.
Things didn’t unfold as expected early for the five-year-old, who missed the start and faced a moderate tempo. To make matters trickier, Zahra dropped his whip at a crucial stage as Docklands was mounting his run.
Despite the setbacks, the son of Massaat dug deep, surging late under Zahra to deny favourite Rosallion in a dramatic finish, with long-priced runner Cairo grabbing third place.
The win marked a significant moment in the OTI Racing silks of managing owner Terry Henderson. Docklands had previously finished runner-up in the same race 12 months ago, and he also claimed the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot two years prior.
Between his British exploits, Docklands travelled to Australia, where he contested the 2023 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley, finishing sixth against a world-class field.
After the win, Zahra shared that the opportunity to ride Docklands came courtesy of Will Bourne, bloodstock manager for rival trainer Ciaron Maher. Ironically, Maher’s runner Carl Spackler, who was strongly backed, failed to feature in the finish.
