Gary celebrates with double win
‘‘Ocean Emperor's weekend win was followed two races by his stablemate Temple Tiger taking his record to six wins from 28 starts.’’
This time five years ago Gary Hennessy was basking in the glory of Ocean Park’s victory in the Cox Plate, capping a massive spring campaign that netted four Group One wins.
Last Saturday’s Feilding Gold Cup meeting at Awapuni was of far lesser scale than anything served up at the Melbourne carnival, but wins by his only two starters there was good reason for Gary to reflect on a landmark period in his training career.
Gary also owned Ocean Park in partnership with Hong Kong clients Andrew Wong and Steve Yan, for whom the classy bay won eight of his 15 starts and more than $3.6 million in stakes. Nor did it end when Ocean Park was retired after competing at the 2013 Dubai World Cup meeting.
He was then syndicated to join the potent stallion roster at Waikato Stud, with his three owners pocketing another windfall as well as retaining a breeding interest. Ocean Park’s eldest progeny are now three-year-olds, and after the necessary maturity are starting to show their worth on the track with several winners amongst them.
Ocean Emperor, a colt by Zabeel from the Group-winning Pins mare Tootsie, was bought as a likely replacement for his star predecessor. Now six years old, he has proven a real patience tester with a number of setbacks, the most serious of which was a serious hoof abscess that took more than a year to get over.
Since returning to competition last summer, Ocean Emperor has won three of his nine starts along with four minor placings. Wet tracks have hindered him at times, but with conditions to suit on Saturday, the way that he dealt to his rivals bodes well for his prospects of picking up a decent race in his six-year-old season.
Ocean Emperor’s weekend win was followed two races by his stablemate Temple Tiger taking his record to six wins from 28 starts with a hard-fought success in Rating 75 grade.
Also a six-year-old, Temple Tiger is a Hennessy home-bred, by former Hong Kong galloper Tiger Prawn from the handy racemare Suzie Temple. Tiger Prawn doesn’t have large numbers on the track, but just lately they’ve been flying his flag well through the likes of Matamata Cup day winner Hay Tiger and Its A Kinda Magic, who finished second in the same race and again at Tauranga on Saturday.