Jockey Mark Zahra will get the chance to reprise his Queen Anne Stakes success of 2025 on Docklands despite getting a 15-day careless riding suspension from last Saturday’s Queensland Oaks.
Zahra pleaded not guilty to a careless riding charge, which was completed on Wednesday with Queensland stewards finding he shifted out on Grand Omaha, causing Silvasista to lose her rightful running at the 150m mark in the Oaks.
He took his nine-day stay of proceedings, and will out from June 18 until July 4. It means Zahra will be able to ride Martist in Saturday’s JJ Atkins before jetting off to England where he will ride Docklands for OTI in the opening race of the Royal meeting.
OTI boss Terry Henderson said Docklands is going as well as last year and having Zahra available was a boost to his hopes of another Group 1 victory.
“It is great that Mark will be there to ride him because he knows him so well,” Henderson said. “I believe he is up there with James McDonald and Ryan Moore as the best big race rider in the world and is a very important part of our chances.
“I spoke to [Docklands trainer] Harry [Eustace] yesterday and he said he has been very impressed with him since he got back home from running third in Hong Kong in the Champions Mile at the end of April.
“There are a couple of nice Godolphin horses there and More Thunder looks like a miler on the rise, but we are in with a big chance.”
Lockinge Stakes winner Notable Speech is the $2.75 favourite for the Queen Anne with Godolplin stablemate Opera Ballo $4.50, while More Thunder, the Lockinge runner-up, is $5.50.
Docklands is a $7 chance to get another Royal Ascot after winning the Britannia Stakes in 2023 and being runner-up in the Queen Anne 12 months later before last year’s Group 1 success courtesy of a brilliant Zahra steer.
Since, Docklands has been around the world running in Group 1 miles in France, England, Japan and Hong Kong.
