Photo: Race Images - Kenton Wright
Kind, athletic, willing to learn, and immensely talented.
These are the memories Andrew Scott has of Ohope Wins (Ocean Park), the dual Oaks winner he and Lance O’Sullivan prepared for the first part of her career.
Ohope Wins, transferred to the Sydney stable of Chris Waller in March, was brought down in yesterday’s Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), unable to avoid Half Yours when he fell in the straight. The injuries were so severe that she had to be euthanised by the on-course veterinarian.
“She was incredibly kind, just very willing,” Scott said. “Yes, she was incredibly talented, but she was a kind soul. She was just one of those nice animals that was willing to learn, willing to quicken, really sound, and had high levels of ability.
“What she showed to us during her brief career, she rates up with some of the best horses we’ve trained, there’s no doubt about it. She was a very good horse to us and we were very proud of her achievements when she went to Australia.”
The Ocean Park mare was bred by Bill Gartshore and his family and raced under their Gartshore Bloodstock moniker. She was the first horse the Gartshores had asked O’Sullivan and Scott to train.
“It was a pretty good way to kick off a relationship. They certainly enjoyed a brief but very successful career with her. They were very proud of her achievements, and to see her to win the races that she did,” Scott said.
“They took a good load of patience, like any owner or breeder does, to get through from breeding to the birdcage. They put a lot into the industry, and they deserved all the success they got.”
O’Sullivan and Scott displayed plenty of patience themselves with Ohope Wins. She trialled five times before she raced, and only once did she finish in the first three. But in most of them she got to the line strongly, and the pair felt like they had a good horse from a very early stage.
“She had a quiet mind, she was sound in the limb, good in the wind, she had constitution, and consequently she had a good action on the training track,” Scott said.
“Until you really ask them to quicken you don’t know, but she certainly had a lot going for her.”
Ohope Wins finished fifth on debut in a 1400m maiden at Rotorua in November last year, and filled the same position in a 1600m maiden at Pukekohe on December 6. Then, coming from well back, she finished second in a Te Rapa 1600m maiden on December 20.
O’Sullivan and Scott then decided to take on the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. It was here she showed her true ability, storming home to win after being well back on the turn.
Australian owner-breeders Yulong Investments then bought Ohope Wins from Gartshore Bloodstock, and it was in Yulong’s colours that she won the Gr.2 David and Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (2100m). Understandably she then started a $2.60 favourite in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m), and she dominated her opponents by 2 1/4 lengths.
In all three of her New Zealand victories, Ohope Wins ran her final 600m at least half a second quicker than all her opponents, and she was more than a second faster than the rest in the Oaks.
“When she found her confidence and got out to the distances she was genetically bred to run, she was able to relax really well and when you asked her to quicken, she could quicken well and sustain a great gallop, which is seldom seen,” Scott said.
Ohope Wins was then transferred to Waller’s stable, where she finished fourth in the Gr.1 Vinery Classic (2000m) before winning the Gr.1 ATC Australian Oaks (2400m).
This season, she had two prep races at unsuitable distances. She was then sixth in the Gr.1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) before suffering her tragic fate in the Caulfield Cup.
“The team is heartbroken. She was a special part of our team, but we feel for Team Waller and Team Yulong as well,” Scott said.
“(Yulong Head of Racing) Danny Rolston rung last night and he was really upset. He said they’d done everything they could to save her and he was very sad to deliver this news to the team.
“It’s never easy, no matter what. When you have a loss in the team it’s felt, regardless of ability, but it was a bit of a sombre night last night for sure. She was a very loved mare on both sides of the Tasman and we certainly won’t forget her.”
