Oak Hill (NZ) Hits New High in Rubiton Stakes

Oak Hill (NZ) (Per Incanto) is a half-brother to a Group One winner, and he has earned the opportunity to follow in those footsteps after scoring the biggest win of his career in Saturday’s A$300,000 Group Two Here For The Horses Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.

Little Avondale Stud offered Oak Hill in Book 1 of Karaka 2022, where he was bought by Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Ballymore Stables for $180,000. Oak Hill’s 19-start career has produced eight wins, four seconds and A$717,140 in stakes.

The Rubiton Stakes was the first black-type victory for Oak Hill, whose half-brother Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai) has won seven races including the Group One TAB Classic (1600m), Group Two Avondale Guineas (2100m), Group Three Sandown Stakes (1500m) and $1m Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m).

Oak Hill himself has shown enormous promise while climbing through the grades, and his first-up run for second in the Listed W.J. Adams Stakes (1000m) on January 24 hinted that this campaign could be his best yet.

The Rubiton has kept that possibility on the cards for the five-year-old, who finished strongly in the hands of jockey Damian Lane to collar the front-running Don’t Hope Do (So You Think) in the final couple of strides.

It was a welcome reunion with Oak Hill for Lane, a former regular rider on the gelding when he was previously trained by the late Mike Moroney.

“I love this horse, I’ve won four races on him,” Lane said. “It’s good to be back on him.

“He’s been a difficult horse to manage in the past. If you go too forward, he’ll do it the wrong way around and get his head up and over-race.

“A lot of those early days with Mike, it was about teaching him to settle and run, settle and run. He’s really starting to put it together mentally.

“He’s always had the talent and you can put him a touch closer and he’s got the turn of foot still.”

Oak Hill is now trained by Ben, Will and JD Hayes.

“That was a terrific effort by Oak Hill,” JD Hayes said. “I thought he put the writing on the wall last start when he returned. We’ve taken all the gear off his head and he’s just starting to really learn his craft.

“He’s a late learner and a horse that we inherited from the late, great Mike Moroney, and he is getting better each preparation.

“I think we could look at the Oakleigh Plate (Group One, 1100m, February 21) now. Why not?”

Vendor	Little Avondale Stud
Purchaser	Paul Moroney Bloodstock/Ballymore Stables (Victoria)
Breeding	Per Incanto – Isstoora
Sale	Lot 330, Karaka 2022 Book 1, $180,000
Breeder	Mahoenui Partnership
Owner	Lindsay Park Bloodstock, R & C Legh Racing Pty Ltd, B & C Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd, Mr G Devonport, Mr C H Madden, Mrs J G Madden, Mr W H Parkinson, Peake Racing, Mrs S R Bishop, Mr M A Molloy, Mrs D Molloy, Mrs M A Paton, Mr J P Nolan, Kariba Racing, Mr S W Kay, Ms M A Keating, Wright Racing, Mr B A Mcmenamin, Mrs R M Roberts, Mr P C Roberts