Photo: Western Racepix
New Zealand-bred three-year-old Arcadia Park (Ocean Park) passed his first black-type test with flying colours in the A$125,000 Listed Aquanita Stakes (2019m) at Bunbury on Saturday.
The Michael Grantham-trained gelding went into the race with two wins and three placings to his name from eight career starts, most recently a smart last-start success over 1600m at Pinjarra on June 28. The Aquanita was a step up in class and distance, but Arcadia Park was well and truly up to the task.
Arcadia Park was ridden by Clint Johnson-Porter and settled in second place as the six-horse field made their way around the Bunbury circuit at a sedate pace.
Johnson-Porter allowed his mount to stride up alongside the leader coming up to the turn, and Arcadia Park hit the front as he straightened for home.
Arcadia Park got his head to the side in the straight and drifted across the track in both directions, but he dug deep when challenged by the favourite Our Paladin Al and kicked back strongly to win by a neck.
“He was left by himself in the straight and was looking around a little bit,” Johnson-Porter said. “He initially shied at the barriers and ran away from them a little bit, and then he went to duck into the mounting yard as we approached the line. So he’s still new, and it was an impressive win by him today.”
Arcadia Park’s nine-start career has now produced three wins, three placings and A$242,500 in stakes.
Bred and raced by Peters Investments Ltd, Arcadia Park is the latest in a long line of stakes winners to carry Bob Peters’ distinctive cerise and white colours.
Arcadia Park became the 23rd individual stakes winner for Waikato Stud stallion Ocean Park. His dam is the Domesday mare Arcadia Dream, whose five wins included the Aquanita Stakes as well as the Gr.2 Western Australian Derby (2400m). Arcadia Dream is a half-sister to Peters’ triple Group One winner Arcadia Queen, along with fellow black-type winners Arcadia Prince and Arcadia Rose.
“This horse seemed to be all over the place, didn’t he, but he won well,” Peters said. “I was quietly confident coming into the race. I knew that the Domesdays handle the wet and the Ocean Parks handle the wet, so I thought he might be able to run a good race. He’s still got to learn how to go straight, but it was nice to see him get up.”
