Jubilant Aussie jockey Mark Zahra reveals he's jetting out to Mykonos and Ibiza to party with DJ Fisher as he plots celebration tour after conquering Ascot aboard Docklands
Mark Zahra had a glint in his eye and well he might. He had came and conquered Ascot, making his first ride at the Royal meeting a winning one, and now the party could start properly.
Zahra is one of Australia's top jockeys, a proud member of an exclusive club of riders who have landed back-to-back renewals of the Melbourne Cup, and he showed his ability to the world when coaxing Docklands home to win The Queen Anne Stakes.
There was a carnival atmosphere around the paddock, as racegoers from Down Under flocked to let Zahra know how appreciative they were of his efforts to deny hot favourite Rosallion by a nose in the Group One race over a mile.
It was clear there were going to be celebrations and those were not going to be restricted to the stands. Zahra couldn't wait to reveal that Ascot was a stopping off destination en route to Ibiza, Europe's party capital.
He and his wife, Elyse, are busy making plans to find a babysitter for their daughter, Harper, for when they get to 'The White Isle' so they can hit the dancefloor and toast the gutsy Docklands.
'My mate, Fisher (a DJ), plays at Universe, the new club they have just opened,' said Zahra with a broad grin. 'I think we will be heading there, I reckon! Me and the wife like to have a night out, so we will be getting a babysitter I reckon.
'I've got Mykonos before then with Jamie Spencer and a few of the other boys. I've got to get through that alive first and then we will go to Ibiza!'
Zahra is well entitled to dine out on this success. He gave Docklands a magnificent ride, overcoming the fact he dropped his whip with 200 yards to run to get the five-year-old's head down when it mattered.
He is no stranger to success, having partnered champions such as Verry Ellegant, Gold Trip, Without A Fight and Merchant Navy, but the experience of being at the Royal meeting was all new to him.
As we stood in front of the weighing room, Zahra kept glancing up at the towering stand behind him to take in all the sights and sounds. Inevitably, he made a comparisons to the race back home that stops a nation.
'It's a bit different to Melbourne,' he said. 'It's very laid back, very green and everything is behind the stands. Melbourne is out the front of the stands, everything is on top of you.
'They are both great atmospheres in their own way, it's pretty hard to compare them. They are just as good as each other.It is a pinch me moment. You come in, get one ride on the Tuesday and win on it – I'll keep that strike rate, that's for certain!
'It's hard to put this into words. It's going to be something I look back on for a very long time. The closer we got to the race, the more Harry (Eustace, trainer) filled me with confidence and he was right.
'It was amazing walking in. There were so many Aussies in the crowd, I could see them standing by the rails and they were screaming. It was just great to come back to that kind of reception.
'You look at that amazing stand and you can feel the atmosphere, it's what it's all about. I won't forget this for a long time.
'There was no relief – I'm just excited! The horse was 20/1 so I didn't have any pressure on me.'
Zahra had ridden Docklands for Eustace in Hong Kong last December for Australian owners O T I Racing, with the horse – who had previously won the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2023 – named after an area in Melbourne.
'I was asked to come over and do a job and it was great to deliver,' said Zahra. 'People put their faith in you and it's so satisfying when you are able to come over and repay them. It's so very special.'
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