Underdogs Shine as Murphy and Eustace Celebrate Group One Wins

The fourth day of Royal Ascot’s 2025 meeting was one for the underdogs, as two smaller family operations celebrated Group One wins in the Coronation Stakes and the Commonwealth Cup. Joseph Murphy’s Cercene, a 33-1 outsider, edged out the 6-4 favourite Zarigana in the Coronation Stakes, while Harry Eustace’s Time For Sandals took the Group One Commonwealth Cup at 25-1.

Murphy, a trainer with nearly 50 years of experience, was overcome with emotion after Cercene’s historic win. “It’s 50 years of work by the family,” he said. “Going from a small yard, switching from National Hunt to the Flat and always believing, buying horses and believing that they’re going to be good. It’s a lifetime’s ambition to have a Group One winner.”

Gary Carroll, Cercene’s jockey, praised the horse’s determination and heart, saying “Decent horses are very hard to come by and I’ve been lucky enough to find one with a huge heart.” Carroll also thanked Murphy for his support throughout his career, saying “If I was ever to ride a Group One winner, I’m delighted it was for Joe Murphy. He’s been supporting me since I was a 7lb claimer, a long, long time.”

Eustace’s Time For Sandals also enjoyed a thrilling victory, coming from behind to take the Commonwealth Cup. Eustace credited the horse’s draw and the presence of a fast horse to follow, saying “The most concerning part was her draw [in stall one], but we were always confident in a race like this, where there would be fast horses taking her along, that’s really what she needed.”

The wins for Murphy and Eustace were a testament to the hard work and dedication of smaller family operations in the racing industry. As the meeting comes to a close, the jockeys’ award is still up for grabs, with Oisin Murphy and Ryan Moore neck and neck in the standings.

In other news, Satono Reve, a Grade One winner from Japan, is set to make her debut in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes on the final day of the meeting. The six-year-old has been given plenty of time to acclimatise after arriving in Newmarket on May 2, and is being ridden by João Moreira, who has flown in from Hong Kong to take the ride.

The final day of Royal Ascot is shaping up to be an exciting one, with a deep and international field set to compete in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. With several fancied runners from France and Ireland, as well as a strong local defence led by last year’s Commonwealth Cup winner, Inisherin, Satono Reve will need to be at her best to take the win.

Meanwhile, Aidan O’Brien’s Moments Of Joy is looking to secure a sixth win in nine years in the Royal Ascot 2.30, but faces stiff competition from the €2m Frankel colt Treanmor, who was sent off at 1-3 for his debut in May and powered four lengths clear with minimal encouragement.

Other highlights from the day include Rebel’s Romance, who had enough class to win last month’s Yorkshire Cup without being ideally suited by the step up in trip, and Remmooz, who has shown enough in two wins this season to suggest he can improve past more exposed opponents.

As the meeting comes to a close, the racing community is abuzz with excitement and anticipation. With several high-profile winners and a deep and international field set to compete in the final day’s events, it’s shaping up to be an unforgettable conclusion to Royal Ascot 2025.