Avondale meeting great success
stunning debut win for trainer Gary Hennessy. The son of Zabeel and stakes-winning Pins mare Tootsie had won two of his three pre-debut trials, but made things difficult for himself midway through Sunday’s race when he almost ran off on the turn into the straight. His class told, however, as he balanced up for Craig Grylls and regained the lead.
Ocean Emperor was knocked down to Gary Hennessy for $240,000 at last year’s Karaka yearling sale and races in the name of his trainer and Hong Kong clients Andrew Wong and Steve Yan. The same trio of course raced the outstanding galloper Ocean Park and have justified hopes that his replacement can also scale the heights.
‘‘I fell in love with him the first time I saw him as a yearling at Waikato Stud,’’ Gary recalls. ‘‘He’s got the same gorgeous looks as Ocean Park, the same presence and intelligence, but if anything I think he’s got more brilliance.
‘‘He’s very exciting. He makes you pinch yourself every now and then to think you’ve got another high quality horse.’’
Another well related Te Rapa winner with a definite future is Bohemian Lily, a three-year-old by O’Reilly and a sister to the Australian Guineas and Oaks winner Shamrocker. She was the second leg of a winning double for Lance Noble after Realta had scored on debut for a syndicate containing members of that involved with stable star Viadana.