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- Grace Harris Chasing Royal Ascot Glory With Bargain Colt “Eddie”
Trainer Grace Harris is set to represent Wales on horse racing’s grandest stage this week as her unlikely contender “Eddie” prepares to line up in Thursday’s Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The two-year-old, officially named Exclamation, was purchased for just £27,000—loose change in a world dominated by deep-pocketed owners and global breeding powerhouses.
But from her humble Monmouthshire base, Harris is dreaming big.
Her operation in Shirenewton, near Chepstow, has grown from just ten horses a couple of years ago to 26 today.
Still, it remains modest compared to the multimillion-pound yards backed by royalty and oligarchs.
Yet Harris and her young colt are determined to prove they belong on the sport’s most prestigious stage.
“He’s different from anything I’ve trained before,” says Harris, the Newport native who will be making her Royal Ascot debut.
“He’s very precocious for a two-year-old and has a very calm temperament. We know that he’s now going up against the big guns, but you never know.”
Exclamation turned heads on debut in March when he ran in the historic Brocklesby Stakes at Doncaster.
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Despite a chaotic start—he lost several lengths after becoming distracted by the crowd—he surged through the field to claim third, just under two lengths behind the winner.
“He played up really badly on his way into the stalls, but it was a bit like his first day at school,” Harris recalls.
“But he finished so strongly and it was then I thought, ‘Wow, we’ve got something here.’”
The young colt followed up with a runner-up finish at Chester, confirming that his debut was no fluke.
“We knew he was green and there are still areas where we would like to improve, but he then ran well to finish second at Chester.
“He’s growing and learning all the time. His form is solid. We know what we’re up against, but he gives us a real chance.”
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For many trainers, having a horse compete at Royal Ascot is the pinnacle of flat racing—a lifelong dream that remains out of reach for most.
For Harris and her tight-knit team, that dream has suddenly become tangible.
“It’s fantasy land,” she says, reflecting on the whirlwind rise of her yard.
“If you told me 12 months ago we’d be here, I wouldn’t have believed you.”
The buzz has gripped the entire stable. Harris, her staff, and her loyal supporters will all be trackside to cheer on “Eddie”—a colt they hope can turn fairytale into reality.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” says Harris, beaming with pride at how far her team has come.
Regardless of the result on Thursday, Exclamation has already made a mark.
In a sport often defined by bloodlines and bank accounts, this spirited youngster and his determined trainer are proving that passion, patience, and belief can still make noise among the elite.
