Kiwi Chronicles: Far from finished

Written by Lloyd Jackson, ANZ Bloodstock News on 15 July 2025

The older brigade knows that time is unstoppable and not just for we humans. Thoroughbreds are not immune and Waikato Stud’s Ocean Park (Thorn Park) will soon turn 17. That doesn’t mean he’s finished, far from it, but it does mean that he is finding that the competition is getting ahead of him.

The stallion sired his 23rd individual stakes winner when Arcadia Park held on gamely in Saturday’s Aquanita Stakes (Listed, 2019m), the race was transferred to Bunbury while Perth’s Belmont racetrack is being repaired.

The gelding was not tried at two and made his debut on the first day of the current racing season last spring, finishing second at Pinjarra. Into town for start two he was third before a Belmont breakthrough over 1400 metres. Two further spring starts were not as encouraging. A decent spell saw him resume for a fourth at Pinjarra then finish a close second at the same track. His last two runs, back-to-back wins, were achieved in game style, Saturday’s victory taking place at start nine.

Arcadia Park has something to live up to. His dam, Arcadia Dream (Domesday) enjoys the distinction of defeating the boys in the 2016 Western Australian Derby (Gr 2, 2400m). Like her son, she also won the Aquanita Stakes plus the Natasha Stakes (Listed, 1800m), three of her five wins.

However, Arcadia Dream’s half-sister, Arcadia Queen (Pierro) is the standout in this family. The triple Group 1 winner took Perth’s racing scene by storm in the spring/summer of 2018. She won five of her six starts culminating with a four and half length win in the Kingston Town Classic (Gr 1, 1800m).

Transferred to Chris Waller’s stable for two highly lucrative races, fresh up at four she added the Theo Marks Stakes (Gr 2, 1300m) but found The Everest (1200m) too short before a fair fifth in the Golden Eagle (1500m).

As a spring five-year-old she needed four runs to return to the winner’s enclosure when scoring in the Caulfield Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) followed by a fifth in the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m). The Mackinnon Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m), in which she was too good, would prove to not only be her last win but also her second to last start. Her final race, start 16, was a second in the Futurity Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m). Retired with eight wins and a shade less than $4 million in earnings, Arcadia Queen was sold at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Broodmare Sale for $3.2 million to Arrowfield Stud.

The family doesn’t stop there. Arcadia Queen and Arcadia Dream are two of four stakes winners from Arcadia (Redoute’s Choice), herself a sister to Broadway Belle, dam of Arcadia Queen’s three-quarter brother Regal Power (Pierro), the $4.77 million earner and Group 1 winner of the Railway Stakes (1600m) and the rich All Star Mile (1600m).

Ocean Park’s second crop is his best. From it emerged four-time Group 1 winner Tofane and three-time Group 1 winner Kolding. His first two crops produced seven individual stakes winners apiece. For 2025 Ocean Park’s fee has been set at $15,000 (plus GST). For a stallion with a strike rate of 59 per cent winners to runners and 47 stakes performers, he remains worthy of serious consideration by broodmare owners.

Western Australian breeder Bob Peters, who bred all the “Arcadias” mentioned above, seems to be convinced. Arcadia Dream has visited Ocean Park the last seven successive seasons. The combination is two from two and the mare has three more Ocean Park foals which are yet to race.