Mystic Park (NZ) Scores Home-Track Triumph in TAB Mile

For the second year in a row, quality Karaka graduate Mystic Park (NZ) (Ocean Park) has repelled the North Island invasion and landed a major local victory during the New Zealand Cup Carnival in Christchurch.
The $40,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2021 won the Listed Stewards’ Stakes (1200m) during last year’s carnival, and he lined up again in 2025 and captured an even bigger prize in Wednesday’s $250,000 Group Three TAB Mile (1600m) at Riccarton. 

Mystic Park has now had 19 starts for eight wins, four placings and $394,370 in prize-money – just under 10 times his purchase price.

He had gone winless through the 12 months since his Stewards’ Stakes success, but began his six-year-old season on a promising note with strong finishes for fourth over 1200 metres on September 13, 1400 metres on September 27 and 1400 metres on October 25. The TAB Mile was the long-term target for the father-son training partnership of Michael and Matthew Pitman, and the plan came together perfectly on Wednesday.

Mystic Park and Victorian-based jockey Daniel Stackhouse raced three wide in midfield before getting on to the back of fellow local runner Sir Albert (NZ) (Savabeel) and travelling in that rival’s slipstream coming up to the home turn.

Stackhouse moved Mystic Park to Sir Albert’s outside at the top of the straight, and that pair began to stride forward together. They both swept past the third placegetter Cannon Hill (NZ) (Ardrossan) and went clear to fight out a stirring finish, which Mystic Park won by a half-neck.

“It’s a bit of a cliché I suppose, but I set him for this race 12 months ago,” Michael Pitman said. “It’s our third time winning the race and they’ve all been with really nice horses. 

“My wife, my son and my staff deserve so much credit, they put so much work in and we were so confident.” 

Matthew Pitman revealed that one of the only things that went wrong in Mystic Park’s build-up was the suspension to regular rider Sam Weatherley.

“This horse is a stable favourite for the team, he’s a favourite of mine, he just tries super hard,” he said.

“It’s been a long-term plan to have him ready for this, we got in at a good weight and his closing sectionals leading up to it were brilliant. I couldn’t believe what he was paying a week ago.

“We had to pivot with Sam getting suspended, we sent an SOS to Dan and he’s come over and rode him a treat. I’ve lost my voice yet again, it’s a day that means a lot to us and I’m just rapt with the win.”

 

Vendor	Kilgravin Lodge
Purchaser	Mr M Pitman (Canterbury)
Breeding	Ocean Park – Spirit Of Karlu
Sale	Lot 140, Karaka 2021 Book 1, $40,000
Breeder	Weowna Park Ltd & S Y S Yan
Owner	S W Grant, I Macrae, M R Pitman, T Rangihuna, Mrs L Vibert & J G Walsh