Oaks on the horizon for Ohope Wins
An ambitious New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) tilt now awaits the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Ohope Wins (Ocean Park) after she broke her maiden with a polished performance in the Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
The daughter of Waikato Stud’s often underrated stallion Ocean Park (Thorn Park) had caught the eye when powering home late to finish second over 1600 metres at Te Rapa a fortnight ago and was one of the most discussed candidates in the lead-up to the traditional New Year’s Day age-group feature.
Ridden by Joe Doyle, Ohope Wins did not let her supporters down, powering home to beat Origin Of Love (Snitzel) by 2.3 lengths, with another 0.1 lengths back to Born To Be Royal (King’s Legacy) in third.
The winning rider was impressed by the performance from a filly who he believes has plenty ahead of her.
“She is special as we were a long way back and had a lot of ground to make up,” Doyle said.
“She is really laid back and when I started to give her a hard squeeze she came up underneath me and has won quite cosily in the end.
“I just think she has Oaks written all over her as she will be majorly competitive.”
O’Sullivan shares that opinion of the filly, who is nominated for the New Zealand Classic which 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 2 as a maiden,” he said.
“Hopefully she will be running in the Oaks or the Derby, 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 as with races like these you know half of the field are not going to stay as they are having their first crack at the distance.
“We were hoping he could come to the outside and get some clear air and 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.”
Bred and raced by Bill Gartshore and his family under their Gartshore Bloodstock banner, Ohope Wins should have no issues with the 2400-metre trip of the Oaks, being out of the Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) mare Choux Mania, a half-sister to the 2010-2011 Horse of the Year Jimmy Choux, who won five Group 1 races including the 2011 New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m). The dam is also a three-quarter-sister to Group 1 winner Miss Wilson (Stratum).