Since the New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) transferred to Trentham (from Riccarton) during the 1970s, it took until 1990 before the winner also scored at Randwick, in the Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m). That year it was Domino (Grosvenor). Bonneval (Makfi) completed the double in 2017 and Pennyweka (Satono Aladdin) repeated the feat in 2023, so while not impossible, it is still rare and significant.
Unlike Domino, Bonneval and Pennyweka, Ohope Wins (Ocean Park) took her New Zealand Oaks form from Ellerslie which staged the race for the first time this past February. Another difference is that Ohope Wins had two trainers. The Matamata-based O’Sullivan/Scott partnership oversaw her Ellerslie Oaks but her purchase by Yulong Investments meant a new trainer in Sydney, with ex-pat New Zealander Chris Waller taking over her career.
Yulong bought well. Ohope Wins will no doubt claim the title of Champion New Zealand Three-Year-Old at the end of the season as she was dominant. Her finishing runs in New Zealand were a feature of her form and it was no surprise to see her well back at Randwick, standing up the leaders 15 lengths down the back straight.
Even at the 600m she sat second last but by that time the field had compacted she was widest into the straight. Sydney competition is strong and she didn’t run away with it as she had at Ellerslie, but her staying prowess was evident after she accelerated to the 200 metres to level up to the leaders. She relished the 2400m and she is already a good candidate for next spring’s Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m). She has had either trial or race activity every month since last August so a break is now fully deserved with Waller expressing that O’Sullivan and Scott should be acknowledged for the way they managed her New Zealand runs.
Her second elite level win elevates her to third among the 26 progeny of Waikato Stud’s Ocean Park (Thorn Park) to win at stakes level. Ahead of her (so far) are Tofane with four Group 1s and Kolding with three. It would have been good to see her remain in New Zealand but that’s the reality when the racing and breeding industry is centred in Australia.
The win is her fourth in just eight starts, for earnings exceeding $1.6 million, and she is the only winner from four foals to race from Choux Mania, a Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) half-sister to two Group 1 winners Jimmy Choux (Thorn Park) and Miss Wilson (Stratum).
Her breeders, Gartshore Bloodstock Ltd, were no doubt inspired by the first-rate race record of Jimmy Choux and his five Group 1s, including in Sydney. He was some racehorse who landed 12 wins and was second in the 2011 Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) behind the top mare Pinker Pinker (Reset). Jimmy Choux is by Ocean Park’s sire Thorn Park (Spinning World) from Choux Mania’s dam Cierzo (Centaine), thus the same cross separated by a generation.
Sun shines on Otaki
Beautiful weather at Otaki brought out a healthy-sized crowd for some top-class racing on Saturday, featuring two Listed stakes races. However, before each was run many eyes were focused on Race 3, a Benchmark 65 race in which Te Akau Racing’s $2.1 million purchase, Avantaggia (Wootton Bassett) was making her fifth start. There is always a fascination with expensive, royally-bred runners, not unlike the son or daughter of a famous sports performer.
The filly was up to it, sitting third on the rails into the straight then finding an inviting gap at the 200 metre mark. Samantha Collett didn’t need any prompting and shot the filly into the lead where she held on really well, the filly’s second success.
Her maiden win was at Te Aroha last October and a look back would suggest that she has proved worthy of an attempt at stakes level. Second to her at Te Aroha was Confesara (Toronado), who has since won twice including the $100,000 Windsor Park Trophy (1500m) at Ellerslie on Champions Day, and placed third to Belle Cheval (Savabeel) in the Uncle Remus Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) at Ellerslie. Belle Cheval has since taken out the Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) at Rosehill Gardens, after running Well Written (Written Tycoon) to a short half-head in the NZB Kiwi (Listed, 1500m) also at Ellerslie.
Third to Avantaggia at Te Aroha was That’s Gold (Lucky Vega), who has added four wins including the Avondale Guineas (Gr 2, 2100m) as well as the Bonecrusher Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m). Te Akau Racing have announced that Avantaggia will indeed get her chance at black-type, in next month’s Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Te Rapa. The form around the filly justifies the stable’s plans.
While the Hastings track is being refurbished, Otaki staged the Listed City of Napier Sprint (1200m) plus the Hawke’s Bay Cup (Listed, 2200m) and the sprint saw Platinum Attack (Santos) continue his winning form from Trentham where he was finally rewarded after several solid efforts.
Full of running yet widest but one into the straight, Platinum Attack took two or three bounds at the 250 metre mark and with 150 metres remaining had them gasping as he ran through the line for a comfortable win, his eighth in 23 starts and earnings of $445,000. The 5YO is only getting better with age, as all three of his stakes wins have taken place this season.
His sire Santos (I Am Invincible), a Sydney Group 2 winner as a 2YO, stands at Highview Stud. Trainer Lisa Latta found Platinum Attack as a weanling at the 2021 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale for $37,000. His dam Conchita (Uncle Mo) won four times including in Sydney and Melbourne and her dam is a half-sister to international Group winners Red Cardinal (Montjeu), and Maria Royal (Montjeu).
Westbury Stud’s Tarzino (Tavistock) sired his ninth individual stakes winner when 6YO gelding Crouch (Tarzino) landed the Hawke’s Bay Cup (Listed, 2200m) after co-leading three deep into the straight before running clear late for a clear-cut victory.
This was his seventh success in a 34 race career, earning more than $420,000, a good return on his $20,000 purchase from Book 2 at the 2021 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale. Included in his record are two successive second placings in the Wellington Cup (Gr 3, 3200m). In this year’s running of the Wellington Cup he came up just a short neck shy and since then finished third in the Awapuni Gold Cup (Gr 2, 2100m). He was overdue a stakes win and connections are now looking to Melbourne and the Sandown Cup (Listed, 3200m) late next month.
He is the second winner from Oya (Black Minnaloushe). Her first, Prince Alby (Sacred Falls), was an 11-time winner who recorded two Listed placings. Oya herself ranks as a half-sister to Wakeful Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m) winner and VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) second, Thunder Lady (Mastercraftsman). Their half-sister Fleur d’Amour (Thorn Park) foaled the Group 3 winner Princess Kereru (Pins).
Down south
Like Crouch, Bona Sforza (Written By), winner of the NZB Insurance Stakes (Listed, 1600m), could also be headed for Australia, but to Adelaide for the Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m).
The lightly-raced filly has an affinity for Riccarton, having won on debut in the Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) at the same meeting last year. Her only other starts at Riccarton resulted in a second in the Canterbury Belle Stakes (Listed, 1200m) last September, to Miss Starlight (Sweynesse) who was runner-up on Saturday. As well, Bona Sforza finished a solid fourth in last November’s New Zealand One Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m).
On Saturday, she didn’t have many favours in the running, trapped three deep midfield until they straightened. Out in the middle of the track she gradually wore down Miss Starlight in a determined effort, her second win in six starts, banking $138,000 and well on the way to recouping her $150,000 purchase price at the 2024 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale where she was originally passed in for $110,000.
Her Listed placed dam Thwayya (Snitzel) was an Ellerslie winner, her grandam a Sydney winner and her great grandam a Brisbane winner but Bona Sforza remains the only stakes winner within her first three generations of her largely Australian family.
The Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) for 2YOs brought up the fourth Southern Hemisphere stakes winner for Cambridge Stud’s shuttler Hello Youmzain (Kodiac), Enchantment his eleventh in total.
Hello Youmzain has just two crops racing and among those foaled south of the equator are a further seven stakes-placed performers including Sweetest Thing who was second in the recent Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m). The stallion’s future looks more than promising at this stage of his career.
Enchantment has raced four times this season, arriving at Riccarton with three placings. On this occasion she was first into stride and was never headed thereafter, the race decided when she kicked just before the 200 metres and was too strong to the line.
A $60,000 graduate of NZB’s 2025 Karaka Yearling Sale, she has quite a lot to live up to being a daughter of Belle Fascino (Per Incanto), a dual Group 3 winner and six times stakes placed down south. Like many by Per Incanto (Street Cry), Belle Fascino remained sound through to seven which was her best season, winning four of her last seven starts including two Group 3s. At stud she visited Hello Youmzain three times for three fillies but only Enchantment, her second foal, has so far been named.
No Glow
Everyone loves champions. We all want winning streaks to continue. We all dream of owning one. Racing is about competing and winning.
All the above applied to Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) and it was uncomfortable watching her attempt to keep the dream alive over the last 300 metres of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) at Randwick on Saturday. Hindsight is 20/20 but it was, on reflection, a tall order to meet. That extra 32 seconds encompassing the 500 metres beyond her George Ryder Stakes (Gr 1, 1500m) win was a lot to ask.
Blood doesn’t explain every reason for defeat but in Autumn Glow’s case, this column asked the question after the mare waltzed home in the George Ryder on Golden Slipper Day. So did Arrowfield boss John Messara.
“Connections may prefer to avoid the rush and bustle of a tough handicap and stick to weight-for-age, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) the most obvious target. However, consider that Autumn Glow’s South African triple Group 1 sprinting dam Via Africa (Var) never won beyond 1200m. Via Africa’s dam and grandam each won three times, all at 1000m. Countering that is The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice) himself who was successful in the 2000m Rosehill Guineas (Gr 1). Blood suggests a question mark.”
When she challenged Sir Delius (Frankel) approaching the 300 metres, we all thought: “Here she comes,” but as soon as the challenge was lodged it ended. That last 300 meters was a bridge too far but at the same time you had to admire her determination as she stuck to the task, showing huge heart.
Her defeat takes a tiny bit of gloss off her outstanding record and all that remains now is to learn whether she returns next season as a 5YO. The racing public will certainly hope so even though she has little to prove. Perhaps a clash with Sheza Alibi (Saxon Warrior)?
The Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) would have been the goal but the 2040 metres is now in doubt. Fortunately, Australia has a wide array of Group One weight-for-age 1400m and 1600m events to choose from before any thought is given to her next career as an Arrowfield broodmare.
