Ohope Wins (NZ) Completes Ocean Park Double in NZB Filly of the Year Series

Waikato Stud stallion Ocean Park (NZ) has had a huge week in the NZB Filly of the Year Series with a Group Two double at Ellerslie on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Six days after Tellum (NZ) provided the first leg with a commanding front-running win in the $270,000 Hallmark Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m), highly rated staying prospect Ohope Wins (NZ) burst on the scene with a stunning performance in Thursday’s $270,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m).

Those breakthrough victories earned Tellum and Ohope Wins 8 points each in the Filly of the Year Series, which gives them a share of third place on the points table alongside Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma). The equal leaders are Well Written (Written Tycoon) and Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) with 20 points each.

Trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have always had time for Ohope Wins, who went into the Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes as a three-start maiden but had caught the eye with her strong finishes for fifth over 1400 metres at Rotorua on November 16, fifth over 1600 metres at Pukekohe on December 6 and second over 1600 metres at Te Rapa on December 20.

Wexford Stables had no hesitation in stepping her up in class and distance for Thursday’s feature, and their faith in the filly was repaid – and then some.

Ohope Wins was patiently ridden by Joe Doyle and had only a couple of rivals behind her as she came six or seven wide around the home turn. Doyle gave his mount time to get balanced up, then let her rip.

Ohope Wins changed gears and flew down the outside, devouring the front-running Origin Of Love (Snitzel) and clearing out to win by two and a quarter lengths.

“She’s special,” Doyle said. “We were a long way back and had a lot of ground to make up. She’s really laid-back, and when I started to give her a hard squeeze, she came up underneath me and won quite cosily in the end.

“I think she has Oaks written all over her. She will be majorly competitive.”

The $1m Group One Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) will be run at Ellerslie on February 21.

“Andrew and I have always believed in this filly, and that was why we were lining her up today in a Group Two as a maiden,” O’Sullivan said. “Hopefully she will be running in the Oaks or the Derby (Group One, 2400m) or races like that in the future.

“The best way to describe her is that she is a pet. She has a temperament where she doesn’t waiver with anything and that will hold her in good stead moving forward.

“We won’t make any plans today, but come Monday morning, Andrew and I will work out a programme for her.

“We had said to Joe to just ride her as you find her. With races like these where they’re having their first crack at the distance, you know half of the field are not going to stay. We were hoping he could come to the outside and get some clear air. He summed it up nicely. It was a great ride.

“We have always thought she was a stayer from day dot, and nothing has changed that opinion.”

Ohope Wins has now had four starts for a win, a placing and $160,995 in stakes for owner-breeders Gartshore Bloodstock Ltd.

Ohope Wins became the 25th individual black-type winner for Ocean Park. Her dam is the Redoute’s Choice mare Choux Mania (NZ), a half-sister to the five-time Group One winner and New Zealand Horse of the Year Jimmy Choux (NZ) (Thorn Park). Choux Mania is also a three-quarter-sister to the Group One winner Miss Wilson (Stratum).

The Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes placegetters where the Te Akau Racing stablemates Origin Of Love and Born To Be Royal (King’s Legacy). Origin Of Love earned 4 points to lift her total to 7, while Born To Be Royal picked up her first 2 points.

The next leg of the NZB Filly of the Year Series is the $200,000 Group Three NZB Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on January 17.