Oceanex’s wonderful season rolls on with the daughter of Ocean Park earning a golden ticket to the Melbourne Cup after turning over the favourite King Of Leogrance in Saturday’s Listed Andrew Ramsden stakes (2800m) at Flemington.
Oceanex books her ticket to the Melbourne Cup - image Brett Holburt/ Racing Photos
Coming off a win in the Listed Port Adelaide Cup at Morphettville, the Mike Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained mare travelled sweetly third on the fence from an inside barrier but Mark Zahra had to bide his time as Damien Oliver made first run on the favourite.
When the gap appeared, Oceanex rounded in King Of Leogrance (Camelot) in the space of a few strides to win by three-quarters of a length with Super Girl (So You Think) a length and a quarter back in third.
The winner of the $300,000 Group II Matriarch Stakes (2000m) at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup carnival, Oceanex advances her record to 6 wins, 4 seconds and 3 thirds from 18 starts with earnings of $676,970.
“(Tom) Marquand got on her in Sydney and said ‘you want to try this over a mile-and-a-half,” Price told racing.com.
“So her first run over 2500 metres in Adelaide was strong and today was fantastic.
“I know she drew barrier one and got the gun ride with a good pair of hands from Zahra, but still, she beat the right horse in the race and she won convincingly going away.”
Purchased by Mick Price Racing for $70,000 out of the Milan Park draft at the 2017 NZB 2017 Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka, Oceanex advances her record to 5 wins, 4 seconds and 3 thirds from 17 starts with earnings of $483,770.
She is one of eight winners from as many to race out of the stakes-placed Danasinga mare Danex, which include the Group III BRC Rough Habit Plate winner Amexed (Pentire) and the stakes-placegetters Marcellina (Savabeel) and Digital Fortress (Savabeel) as well as the 5-time winner Danahere (Dehere) the dam of stakes-winner Saint Patricks Day (Excelebration).
The 18yo Danex has a 2yo filly by Per Incanto (USA), a weanling colt by Pierro and was covered by Coolmore’s undefeated Triple Crown hero Justify last spring.
