Time For Sandals, from obscurity to Royal Ascot glory

The daughter of Sands of Mali captured the Commonwealth Cup (G1) at 25-1, in a brave and emotional finish; Arizona Blaze and Rayevka completed the trifecta

Time For Sandals, one of the biggest surprises at Royal Ascot 2025 / ROYAL ASCOT

BERKSHIRE, Ascot (Special for Turf Diario).- A classic-winning filly, a trainer in peak form, and a story straight out of a fairy tale. Time For Sandals, a 25-1 longshot, delivered a performance for the ages to capture Friday's Commonwealth Cup (G1) over 1200 meters for 3-year-old fillies at Royal Ascot, marking the second top-level score of the week for Harry Eustace, who earlier had landed the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) with Docklands (Massaat).

Ridden with confidence by Richard Kingscote, the daughter of Sands of Mali raced in isolation down the center of the course but showed tremendous grit and class in the final 200 meters to fend off the late surge of Arizona Blaze (Sergei Prokofiev) by a neck. The French-trained Rayevka (Blue Point) rallied strongly down the stands' side to finish third, beaten just half a length.

Runner-up in last year’s Lowther Stakes (G2), Time For Sandals had collected a pair of Group 3 placings earlier this season, the most recent coming in Chantilly. Friday’s effort represented a significant step forward, but one that her team believed was within reach.

"That last run was key—it gave us the confidence to come here," said a visibly emotional Eustace, his voice hoarse from a week of celebrations. "The biggest concern was the one-hole draw. But the race played out perfectly. There was speed up front and, for the first time, she had a target to chase. We’ve always believed in her, but she hadn’t been able to show her full ability until now."

“This is only the second horse her owners have ever had,” he added. “Not only have they won at Royal Ascot—they’ve won a Group 1. They’re incredibly lucky. And I’m just so thankful to my entire team. I’m the one who speaks into the microphone, but they’re the ones behind it all, making it happen every day.”

Kingscote, who was celebrating his first Royal Ascot Group 1 success, echoed the sentiment. “Everything went according to plan. We had pace to run at and she responded really well. She’s been improving every race and learning along the way. In Chantilly, she was left alone in front and it didn’t suit her, but today she ran like a much more mature filly. She had been working great, and I had real belief in her. I’ll never forget this moment.”

On the losing end, Adrian Murray was full of praise for runner-up Arizona Blaze: “He’s incredibly consistent and always turns up. He came back a bit flat after his last race—probably wasn’t 100%—but we knew he was spot on this time. We’re thinking of the Nunthorpe, but the July Cup is also a possibility.”

French trainer Francis-Henri Graffard was similarly upbeat about Rayevka's performance. “She’s still learning. We’ve had to teach her to settle, and she’s really responding. Today she ran without cover and still finished strongly. I’ve always had faith in her, even though she wasn’t mentally ready last year. We’ll keep her around this distance, maybe stretch to 1400 meters, but she’ll need to keep managing her energy.”