A call an hour before Sea King won the Bendigo Cup landed UK rider Hollie Doyle her second ride in the Melbourne Cup.
Doyle jetted into Melbourne on Monday morning to partner the Harry Eustace-trained Sea King in the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday.
It will be Doyle’s second time riding at Flemington, having ridden on Melbourne Cup Day last year partnering Future History in Australia’s greatest race.
“I had written off the idea of getting a ride this year in the Cup,” Doyle said.
“I had been trying for a few weeks, but nothing had come to a head, then an hour before the Bendigo Cup, Harry sent me a message saying ‘If this fella wins, do you fancy coming to ride him’.
“My reply was ‘Yes please’, so I stayed up quite late to watch him run and win and then I couldn’t get to sleep.
“I don’t know how much strength and depth there was to the race, but he looked pretty dominant throughout, travelled so strong and put the race to bed quite easily.”
Doyle is well aware of how strong Sea King can travel in his races and is mindful of trying to get him to relax from the barrier one.
“It’s a great draw for some, not for others,” Doyle said.
“It’s one where you want to hold a position without doing too much, but then you can be trapped in on the fence and having to find a way out.
“He looked to travel quite strong, and he was quite a free going horse back in England, so I think it’s important we find that balance of getting a good position without lighting him up too much.”
Doyle said she had taken a lot on board from her rides at the Flemington meeting last year.
It was also the first time she had ridden in Australia.
“I was taken by the dynamics and the tempo of the races,” Doyle said.
“I had a few rides on the card that day and the tempo is so different to places like Japan and Hong Kong and wherever else I had ridden.
“It’s also great to have that first Cup ride under my belt and I know what to expect now.
“I’m trying to build up as much experience as I can down here, and, if not tomorrow, then one day getting on a real good ride and heighten my chances.”