Ocean Emperor Retired

Media Release - Friday May 31

Three-time Group Two winner Ocean Emperor has been retired from racing and is about to embark on a stud career.

Ocean Emperor"He's not going to race again, and now I'm looking for a home for him to stand at stud," trainer and part-owner Gary Hennessy said.

By Zabeel out of the Group One-placed Pins mare Tootsie, Ocean Emperor was a $450,000 yearling purchase at Karaka.

He was raced by Hennessy in partnership with Andrew Wong and Stephen Yan – the same team that owned the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) winner, Horse of the Year and now Waikato Stud stallion Ocean Park.

Ocean Emperor had 28 starts for nine wins and five placings, headed by the Gr.2 Japan-NZ International Trophy (1600m) and back-to-back editions of the Gr.2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m). He contested last year's Kranji Mile (1600m) in Singapore, finishing seventh.

The seven-year-old's final start was a fourth placing in the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham last December.

Advertisement

"He's a beautifully bred horse and had a massive amount of ability," Hennessy said. "In his two Tauranga Stakes wins, the horses that finished second to him (Miss Wilson and Nicoletta) went on to win the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1600m) at Te Aroha later in that same season. He really was a top-class horse."

Hennessy plans to support Ocean Emperor with some quality broodmares of his own.

"We've got a really nice band of mares at the moment and it would be good to send them to Ocean Emperor," he said.

"The standout among them would have to be Alberton Princess, the dam of Brutal (Gr.1 Doncaster Handicap (1600m) winner). We've also got a three-quarter sister as well, which is exciting. It's a great family." – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
New G1 Winner for Wootton Bassett
Back in Australia for another season at Coolmore, Wootton Bassett (GB) was expected to get a 3YO Group I winner in France on Sunday, but the horse that got the job done was not the one punters expected.
Vale, Fastnet Rock
Fastnet Rock was a crowd pleaser when paraded as a living legend at the Coolmore stallion parade last month, but sadly this spring was to be his last. 
Tara Talks Racing – This Week We Talk to Bennett Racing
In the wash up of last Saturday’s great day of spring racing there was no winner that meant more to his connections than Group I MVRC Moir Stakes victory Baraqiel, so our obvious guest this week had to be Nathan Bennett.
Kiwi Cup Hopeful Headed to Melbourne
Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) hopeful Wolfgang will fly to Melbourne on Wednesday to commence his path towards the A$10 million feature.
Mulberry Racing Purchase $550,000 Colt at Keeneland September
Australian based Mulberry Racing featured on the buyers list during the first session of the Keenland September Yearling Sale purchasing a colt by Quality Road for $550,000.
Tragic News from Milburn Creek – Vale, Secret Admirer
Spring brings so many foaling stories from our studs each year and while the majority have a happy ending, sometimes things sadly don’t go as planned.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday September 9
Here is the full list of 28 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
G1 Manikato Next for Alabama Lass
New Zealand sprinter Alabama Lass will press on for a tilt at the Gr.1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at The Valley later this month following her runner-up effort in the Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at the Melbourne track last Saturday.
Cogburn Sire Not This Time on Fire at Keeneland September
If you have been considering sending a mare to Widden Stud’s exciting new shuttle sire Cogburn (USA) or have already booked one in you are going to be pretty interested in what is going on at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale this week where his sire Not This Time is in hot demand.
$3.3million Gun Runner Colt Tops Keeneland September Day 1
Keeneland’s 2025 September Yearling Sale began Monday with double-digit gains while posting a record average price of $653,208 and selling 15 horses for $1 million or more led by a colt by Gun Runner for $3.3 million to M.V. Magnier and Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm. The average topped the previous record $611,038 for a single session set during Day 2 in 2024, and the number of seven-