UK-trained Sea King has emerged as a Melbourne Cup contender after an impressive Australian debut victory at Bendigo.

Success in the Group 3 Bendigo Cup (2400m) on Wednesday qualifies the Harry Eustace-trained stayer for Tuesday’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.

Sea King is liable for a rehandicap for the Melbourne Cup following Wednesday’s victory.

Ridden by Declan Bates, Sea King ($5.50) scored by 3-¾ lengths from Berkeley Square ($6) with Star Vega ($11) a head away in third place.

The past two winners of the Bendigo Cup – High Emocean and Interpretation– went on to compete in the Melbourne Cup six days later – finishing third and sixth respectively.

Winning trainer Harry Eustace and managing part-owner Terry Henderson said the Melbourne Cup had not been on their agenda when Sea King was purchased after running sixth in the UK’s biggest handicap, the Ebor at York in August.

Sea King finished alongside last week’s Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) winner Onesmoothoperator in the Ebor.

Onesmoothoperator was penalised 1kg for his victory at Geelong.

Eustace said the Melbourne Cup 2024 started to come on the radar as horses in the Flemington feature began falling by the wayside.

“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,” Eustace said.

“So, the closer we got to getting in the more pressure there was I suppose.

“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.”

Henderson said Sea King had travelled out to Melbourne primarily as a travelling companion for Docklands, but the gelding had thrived during his time in quarantine at Werribee.

Docklands ran fifth to Via Sistina in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley last Saturday at his Australian debut.

“The stats of his (Sea King) record during trackwork have been great and it’s a great credit to Harry and his team to present him like this today,” Henderson said.

“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.”

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