Kiwi superstar Ohope Wins adds her name to history books with famous Oaks success
Star New Zealander Ohope Wins (Ocean Park) joined a select band of fillies to win the major Oaks double on both sides of the Tasman in storming to victory in the Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) at Randwick.
Having won the New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) two starts earlier at Ellerslie before a transfer to Chris Waller, Ohope Wins followed her close-up fourth in the Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) with a popular Randwick triumph as $2.60 favourite on Saturday.
Ridden by James McDonald, she continued the phenomenal run of success for Australian racing’s “power couple”. Waller and McDonald have combined to win at least one Group 1 on a record of seven successive Saturdays, starting with Autumn Glow’s (The Autumn Sun) success in the Verry Elleegant Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) on February 28.
And Ohope Wins, recently declared New Zealand Bloodstock’s Filly of the Year for the current season, became just the fourth filly to take out the New Zealand-Australian Oaks double, after Pennyweka (Satono Aladdin) in 2023, Bonneval in 2017 (Makfi), and Domino (Grosvenor) in 1990.
McDonald was at his coolest in making Ohope Wins the 14th Australian stakes winner for her Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m)-winning sire Ocean Park (Thorn Park), who stood at Waikato Stud last year for $15,000 (plus GST).
Behind a strong pace set by longshot Stand My Ground (North Pacific), the field strung out such that Ohope Wins was some 15 lengths off the pace in second-last spot at the 900 metres. Meanwhile, Profoundly (Farnan), second favourite at $3.20, seemingly held a distinct advantage, travelling fifth, two lengths off a breakaway group.
Profoundly duly took the lead under Tommy Berry over the rise, but behind and to her outside, Ohope Wins was building a formidable head of steam down the centre of the track.
To her credit, Profoundly battled gamely all the way down the straight, but Ohope Wins was able to outstay her, taking the lead 60 metres out and scoring by a half-length.
Dom Sutton’s After Summer (The Autumn Sun), who so nearly pinched the Vinery at $61, showed it was no fluke in running a close third at $9.50.
Savouring his 196th Group 1 success, expat Kiwi Waller paid tribute to Ohope Wins’ previous New Zealand trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott for the progress of the filly, who was subject to a majority buy-in from Yulong in January.
“I can’t take all the credit,” Waller said. “Obviously, I’ve been trusted by Yulong. Lance O’Sullivan did a great job with her prior to coming to me plus they gave me a hand with her as well. Very friendly and very helpful which we’ve got to thank them for.”
Waller said inheriting such a proven performer had been “not hard at all because you know the horse is good enough”.
“It was just about keeping it simple,” he said. “Maybe we got it a little bit simple first-up [in the Vinery]; I think she just needed the run.
“Speaking with Lance O’Sullivan, the confidence he had in her – he said she’s one of the best horses that he’s ever had to deal with, so it’s a pretty big comment coming from him.”
Celebrating his 135th Group 1 success, McDonald said Ohope Wins relished the genuine pace.
“They ran it really quickly so it suited her down to the ground,” he said.
“Obviously, on paper it didn’t look that way, but I always had a plan to ride her quiet. I was blessed when the pace went on and it never stopped so it was going to be the toughest stayer, and that’s exactly what she was.
“It didn’t go well last start [in the Vinery], Rosehill, slowly run race.
“She’s gritty, she’s a very gritty filly. She had enough on the line, the other two [placegetters] were brave and it was lucky we were on a good horse.”
Ohope Wins immediately put herself in the reckoning for spring staying highlights such as the Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) and Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m).
McDonald, however, said a staying future was not necessarily a fait accompli for the filly.
While he said “2400 metres is a good number for her” he added: “But you never know. As they get stronger some of them get quicker, so she might get quicker.”
Bred by Gartshore Bloodstock, Ohope Wins is the fourth and best of four named foals for the Australian-placed mare Choux Mania (Redoute’s Choice) – the first three of whom are unplaced – and is the only one not put through a public sale.
Choux Mania is a three-quarter sister to elite winner Miss Wilson (Stratum) and a half-sister to five-time Group 1 victor Jimmy Choux (Thorn Park).
She now has two-year-old and yearling full-brothers to Ohope Wins. She lost her foal by Noverre (Savabeel) in 2025, before being covered by that stallion again.
Ocean Park has 26 stakes winners worldwide from 614 runners at 4.23 per cent.