Second Stakes Win for Ocean Beyond (NZ)

A change of scenery has worked wonders for highly talented Karaka graduate Ocean Beyond (NZ) (Ocean Park), who picked up the second stakes win of his 13-start career with a brilliant late burst in Saturday’s A$160,000 Listed Hilton Nicholas Straight Six (1200m) at Flemington. 

Offered at the 2019 Ready to Run Sale with a $60,000 reserve, the four-year-old is now a four-race winner with A$339,225 in stakes – more than six times his Karaka reserve.

Previously a quality performer and Listed McKenzie Stakes (1200m) winner for Warrnambool trainer Daniel Bowman, Ocean Beyond was transferred into the Stawell stable of Andrew Bobbin after a form dip.

He showed promising signs with a placing at Caulfield earlier this month, and on Saturday he was right back at the peak of his powers.

Jockey Linda Meech settled towards the back of the 16-horse field, and although Ocean Beyond was travelling beautifully coming into the closing stages of the race, there were a few nervous moments as he cruised up behind a logjam of horses.

But Meech found a way to the outside and Ocean Beyond did the rest, sprinting brilliantly and soaring past Crestani (Nicconi) to score by a long neck. It was the second consecutive Straight Six victory for a Karaka graduate, following on from Romancer (NZ) (Redwood) 12 months ago.

“I was just looking for a way to get out without causing any interference,” Meech said. “I had a lapful of horse – I was travelling the best of anyone at the 200 metres.”

Ocean Beyond delivered a career milestone for Bobbin, bringing up his first win at stakes level. Having saddled his first starter in late 2020, Bobbin has a career total of 39 wins.

“This (winning stakes races) is what I always wanted to do, and to win one here is certainly a highlight,” the young trainer said. “This horse showed plenty of promise early, and he’s just thriving in the country environment since he came to our place. He looks like a mountain goat, he’s that woolly and rough-looking, but he lives outside in a yard and clearly it’s working.”

Ocean Beyond was bred by Waikato Stud and is by Ocean Park (NZ) out of the four-race-winning mare Frankly (NZ) (Pins). A close relative is the unraced Red Delicious (NZ) (No Excuse Needed), dam of multiple Group One winner Madison County (NZ) (Pins) and recent Group One South Australian Derby (2500m) placegetter Detonator Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry).