Game Ocean Park mare doesn’t let trainer down

Co-trainer David Eustace was confident Ocean Heart’s tenacity would serve her well at Ballarat this afternoon and he was right on the money when she produced a spirited display to score over 1600 metres.

The Waikato Stud-bred and sold daughter of resident sire Ocean Park settled off the pace and
improved near the turn and then finished resolutely under apprentice Josh Richards.

“She really dug deep and she’s very tough. I said to Josh she will keep finding the line for you,”
Eustace said.

“You can’t overwork her and the team at the beach has done a great job with her, she takes a little bit of managing.”

Eustace also heaped praise on three-kilo claimer Richards, who had ridden the 4-year-old to
instructions.

“He rides really well and is very measured and gives good feedback. He’s a nice, quiet lad and has got a bright future,” he said.

Ocean Heart, who was coming off a two-month break to win for the third time from a handful of
starts, was bought by Eustace’s training partner Ciaron Maher for $85,000 at New Zealand
Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale.

She is out of the unraced O’Reilly mare Heartfelt, who is a half-sister to the G3 South Island
Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. winner Residential and the Group 1-winning family of Silver Liner and her daughter Petrava.