OZ Racing

Oceanex

Wow, we are still coming down from the high of Oceanex running in the Melbourne Cup. She has finished 11th beaten 5.5 lengths.

She had to spend some fuel down the straight the first time to put herself in the race. It was a good ride by Dean Yendall to find a position with cover. She lost a shoe in running and pulled up with slight heat stress. She did her best.

Now we know you cannot look at it this way, but out of the run comes another “what if” story. “What if” the Europeans could not come due to Covid – 19. If so, she runs 6th beaten 3.2 lengths. The first six would have looked like this
1st The Chosen One
2nd Persan
3rd Verry Elleegant
4th Russian Camelot
5th Finche
6th Oceanex

Jockey’s comments
She went super. I rode her to run the top 12. I got her into a lovely position, had cover, it was always going to be tricky from the barrier 17. I knew the speed was drawn outside of me, but I still had the task of getting across and finding the right spot, which she did. She switched off lovely and I rode her to get the journey and to help the owners get some prizemoney.

Racenet’s comments

Clinton Payne says (paraphased): Super run. Did a bit of work to offset a three-wide spot early and stuck to the task and was brave in the straight after firing all her bullets.

The Flemington Spring Carnival week commences tomorrow, and we are very lucky to be part owners in two horses competing. Tomorrow our exciting 3YO Fastnet Rock c**t, Glenfiddich, will line up in the stallion making $1.5 million Group 1 Coolmore Stakes over 1200 metres.

If he wins, it would be an extraordinary effort giving that he was being prepared for the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas over 1600 metres and then on to the Group 1 Cox Plate over 2040 metres, before he had to be scratched from the Guineas four days out from the race and undertake a minor throat operation.

So to drop back to 1200 metres is a big task, but trainer Peter Moody believes he is a high-quality c**t and deserves his chance to go around. He is unloved by the racing media leading into the race due to the above, but you have to be in it to win it, and Peter is not taking him to the races just to make up the numbers.

Our other runner Oceanex will line up in the $8 million Group 1 Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. What a thrill to have another runner in the Cup. We had Au Revoir run in the 2014 Cup finishing 8th after racing three and four wide for most of the race.
Oceanex goes into the race as an outsider in what the racing media are saying is one of the best Cup fields for many years – just our luck! We will enjoy the incredible experience and be proud of her no matter where she finishes.

Good luck to our partners.

Bruce Saxild

Go Glen!

Good luck to all our partners in Glenfiddich tonight when he runs in the Group 2 Stutt Stakes over 1600 metres at Moonee Valley. He was very brave taking on the older horses in the Group 1 Menzies Stakes when running third to Behemoth at his first start this campaign.

Peter Moody is very happy with him - we just need the rain to stay away.