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Ocean Beyond lands McKenzie Stakes

The Waikato Stud-based sire Ocean Park (Thorn Park) was represented by his 11th stakes winner on Saturday as the Daniel Bowman-trained Ocean Beyond (3 g ex Frankly by Pins) took out the Mitchell McKenzie Stakes (Listed, 1200m) at Moonee Valley. 

Last seen making a winning debut over 1212 metres, the three-year-old gelding surged clear to beat Deep Speed (Deep Field) by half a length, while Free To Move (Unencumbered) was another three lengths further away in third. 

"Since we gave him his first gallop we've known that he goes good,” said Bowman. “It was a matter of looking after him until his head was right. Good result today.

"He was NZ Ready To Run, I liked him at the sale. His breeze-up wasn't impressive, he did a lot wrong but I liked the animal at the sale. He had a bit of a throat issue there so he was passed in. Waikato were good enough through Mike Rennie, my associate, to take him home and get him over it for a couple of months.

"We'll tip him out. He's still very feminine and fine, he's got a bit of filling out to do."

The gelding was passed in at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale when he failed to make his NZ$60,000 reserve and he is one of three winners out of the four time-winning Pins (Snippets) mare Frankly. 

The gelding’s second dam is O’Really (Centaine), who is herself to the late sire O’Reilly (Last Tycoon). O’Really produced Listed scorer Keano (Pins), while she is also the grandam of Group 3 winner Take The Rap (No Excuse Needed) and Listed scorer Pinzu (Pins), while further back this is the same family as dual Group 1 winner Madison County (Pins). 

Waikato Stud will offer Frankly’s Savabeel (Zabeel) colt during Book 1 of next year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka National Yearling Sale and he will be offered as Lot 412.

Ocean Park’s progeny is headed by Group 1-winning pair Kolding and Tofane and he is standing at Waikato Stud for a fee of NZ$20,000 (plus GST).