Caulfield Cup hero Durston crowns amazing season for breeder Kirsten Rausing

Durston's heart-stopping victory in the Caulfield Cup was described by Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's founder Harry Herbert as 'incredibly special' in the aftermath of the time-honoured contest in Victoria.

Fulfilling a dream that was forged 18 years ago when first making a trip over from the UK, Herbert admitted that the triumph in the prestigious race, undoubtedly Highclere's biggest Down Under, was a long time in the making.

Durston now leads the syndicator’s Australian flag bearers that include 2014 Metropolitan Handicap winner Opinion and 2016 Sydney Cup runner-up Libran.

"It’s such a dream," Herbert told ANZ Bloodstock News. "I’ve so loved Australian racing since I went there, nearly 18 years ago now.

"Doing the Carbine Club speech and coming back the next year with Durston to try and win the Cup itself. Having caught the Cup fever, I fully admit I’m a massive fan of the whole thing.

"These iconic races, like the Caulfield Cup, that’s what you dream about winning for your share owners."

Trained by Chris Waller, who was enjoying a second win in the prestigious event following Verry Elleegant's 2020 triumph, Durston managed to sneak into the race after the withdrawal of fellow UK-import Maximal.

The northern hemisphere six-year-old son of Lanwades Stud stallion Sea The Moon also delivered jockey Michael Dee the biggest win of his career, in what was a fifth elite-level success for the Melbourne rider.

Durston, who only earned a start in the Caulfield Cup following the race-morning scratching of Maximal, raced in the final third of the field, but looked full of running rounding the turn for home despite plenty of his rivals seemingly under maximum pressure.

Switching from the inside rail, Dee manoeuvred his mount for a run down the outer of the pack in a move that would ultimately turn into a race-winning one.

As the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Gold Trip, another European import, quickened to lead inside the final 200 metres, the Highclere colours came late and fast on his wing to snatch victory in the final strides for a memorable success.

Waller said he had felt the ups and downs of racing in a short space of time, with Durston’s win coming after the yard had watched Nature Strip finish fourth behind winner Giga Kick at odds-on when bidding for a second win in the Aus$15 million The Everest.

“That's the highs and lows of racing,” remarked Waller. “Nature Strip was great only minutes ago, but we were deflated but wow what an amazing win in the Caulfield Cup.

“Durston, he’s a really decent horse. He looked like he needed a bit of luck getting out and he did get out so it was a great ride from Michael.

“He was strong in the last 50 metres, so it is exciting heading towards the Melbourne Cup.”

Herbert was put onto the horse by SackvilleDonald’s Alastair Donald following a two-year-old season that saw him finish second and third in two maidens for UK-based trainer David Simcock and admits he always had Australia in mind.

"We bought him as a late two-year-old when he was still a maiden,” he said. “Alastair Donald, who’s sourced a lot of our horses, he put him across our bows and said, yes, he’s a maiden but for Australia, down the road, he could be an ideal type, being by Sea The Moon.

Sea The Moon: now the sire of two top-flight winnersCredit: Lanwades Stud

"I went with it and it’s extraordinary that, despite some injury issues along the way, he’s got a heart of a lion. He’s a complete racehorse in the way he goes about his business.

"I launched him as a horse to Australia, but to start his three-year-old campaign in Britain. He very nearly won at Glorious Goodwood, just getting touched off, and then the following year he went wrong after Ascot.

"We then had this long gap, and then to Australia, and he won on debut, before we had another niggle with him. So, to come back from all of that and to be racing at this level."

"I think he’s still improving. He’s got such a fantastic mind on him. Chris was pretty bullish of a big run.

"I couldn’t believe it when I woke up this morning seeing that it was a Soft 6, having seen the pictures in Melbourne of the flooding.

"There’s a lot of loyal owners in the horse that have been with us through many years, and this is just the stuff that dreams are made of. I couldn’t be more thankful for all of their support.

Yesterday’s win marked a second elite-level victory for the syndicate this year following Cachet’s surprise 16-1 success in the English 1,000 Guineas in May.

"This is why we do it,” Herbert said. “Every yearling and proven horse we buy, we absolutely aspire for that horse to run at Group level.

"We all know that’s very difficult, but over the years, and this is our 30th anniversary, it’s a second Group 1 winner for us with Cachet winning the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, it’s just huge for me and my team.

"Things can happen at any time, but in a 30th anniversary year, it’s incredibly special."

Originally a 52,000gns purchase by Blandford Bloodstock from the Staffordstown draft at Book 2 of the 2017 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Durston is now a winner of six of his 16 career starts in the southern hemisphere, with an extra four placings, amassing prize-money earnings of over Aus$3.5 million.

Out of the winning Hernando mare Caribana, he is a half-brother to four winners with the best of those being St Simon Stakes and John Porter Stakes winner Cubanita, who also finished runner-up in the Grosser Preis von Bayern and was voted Champion Older Mare in Germany in 2014.

Durston's Caulfield Cup success rounded off what has been a truly remarkable four weeks for owner-breeder Kirsten Rausing's Lanwades Stud.

The Newmarket-based farm was enjoying its third Group 1 winner of the year following Alpinista's gutsy win in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe a fortnight ago and last month's St Leger victory with Eldar Eldarov.

As for what Durston's future holds, Herbert confirmed that sights are firmly set on a crack at next month's Melbourne Cup at Flemington and that the planning for having owners as spectators begins tomorrow.

"Monday morning will be the job of working out who’s going and the lovely Vicky Rapke at the VRC will be inundated with our requests," he said.

"We’ve done it before in terms of getting owners there and we’ve had a few Cup runners before, but this horse will be further up the sharp end of the betting.

"It’s frantic planning as we speak. These events, you’ve really got to enjoy them. Who knows what happens on the day, but you’ve got to give it your best shot and it’s so important just to stop, take a pause, and say ‘wow, we’ve got another runner in the Melbourne Cup’ and he’s one I believe will have a great chance at Flemington next month."

Subscribe to make sure you never miss updates from Australia, New Zealand and beyond and to have ANZ Bloodstock delivered to your inbox every day