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Pretty To Sea landed Hallmark Stud Handicap at Ellerslie to provide her sire Ocean Park with his sixth stakes winner.

Pretty To Sea wins Hallmark Stud Handicap. Pretty To Sea landed Thursday's Hallmark Stud Handicap (Listed, 1200m) at Ellerslie to provide her Waikato Stud-based sire Ocean Park (Thorn Park) with his sixth stakes winner. 

The Brendan and Jo Lindsay-owned mare defeated Avantage (Fastnet Rock) by a short neck with Speedy Meady (Swiss Ace) another two and a quarter lengths back in third.  

The victory came after a difficult week for the Lindsay's who lost leading stallion Tavistock (Montjeu) before Brendan's sister Sonya Harper died suddenly earlier this week. 

Trainer Stephen Marsh was delighted with the victory given the circumstances it was gained in.

"When she got out of the gates better, I thought that's a bit of us, although she lost a lot of ground and ended up in an awkward spot," he said.

"Obviously the Lindsay's have got something on their shoulders today as they have had such a bad run.

"If there was one horse that could win today, I wanted this for Brendan and Jo."

A 5-year-old mare, Pretty To Sea, who finished second in the 2018 Adrian Knox Stakes (Group 3, 2000m) for trainer Ciaron Maher, has now won 4 of her 20 starts and been placed 5 times for prize money of just over $165,000. 

A $150,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale purchase, Pretty To Sea is out of the winning Pins (Snippets) mare Pretty, making her a half-sister to Bonny O'Reilly (O'Reilly) who sold for $1,200,000 in foal to Snitzel (Redoute's Choice) at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale earlier this year.

Her second dam is the Group placed mare Escada (Centaine), dam of Group 1 winners Vision And Power (Carnegie) and Glamour Puss (Tale Of The Cat). This is also the family of Steps In Time (Danehill Dancer). 

A 5-time Group 1 winner, Ocean Park, who stood for a fee of NZ$15,000 (plus GST) in 2019, has 9 lots catalogued for Karaka 2020 Book 1 and another 13 lots for Book 2.