A kiss on the nose from work rider Kelly Guillambert and a satisfied nod from trainer Harry Eustace marked the end of a key morning at Newmarket on Friday. Time For Sandals, the Commonwealth Cup heroine, strode out powerfully in her gallop and pulled up with pricked ears — signs that all roads now lead to Haydock Park for the 2025 Sprint Cup.
Eustace, watching from the rail, called it her “sweet spot,” convinced that the flat six furlongs at Haydock give his filly the perfect chance to cement her place among Britain’s leading sprinters. The early morning sun, the hush around the Rowley Mile, and the gathered stable team made it a moment charged with quiet expectation.
Haydock Park Sprint Cup 2025 Beckons for Time For Sandals
Paired with stablemate Ancient Times over five furlongs, Time For Sandals eased into her stride before Guillambert asked her to lengthen. She finished the move in command, leaving connections content. “She was fit, this was just to check her wellbeing,” said Eustace. “Kelly rides her every day — if she’s happy, I’m happy.”
The gallop confirmed that the filly had bounced back well from her third in the King George Stakes at Goodwood. That run, Eustace admits, came under testing conditions: a sharp track, a penalty, and a clash against older horses. Yet the trainer believes the education gained that day will serve her well at Haydock.
“She had to take everything on at once,” he said. “It wasn’t smooth, but she still managed another crack in the finish — and that tells us a lot about her.”
New Jockey Likely for Star Filly
With Richard Kingscote soon to depart for Hong Kong, a new partnership is in the works. Eustace is keen on securing Group One-winning rider Kieran Shoemark to take the reins at Haydock and beyond. “The owners are very keen on him,” he explained. “We want someone who can commit to her into next year, and Kieran is top of the list.”
Shoemark, should he be confirmed, would inherit a filly who continues to grow with every run. From her Royal Ascot breakthrough to the testing assignment at Goodwood, she has shown both speed and resilience.
Learning Curve and Long-Term Vision
Eustace remains clear that this season is about education as much as glory. “Sprinters improve with age,” he said. “This year she’s learning her craft — next year, we can be more aggressive.” He believes the Haydock Park Sprint Cup over six furlongs is the right stage for her to underline that the Commonwealth Cup was no fluke.
“She’ll be competitive,” Eustace concluded, his optimism tempered with caution. “There are plenty still in to beat, but she’s right where we want her, and touch wood, she’ll run well.”
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