Third Listed Success For Ocean Park’s Arcadia Park

Recording his third individual Listed victory, the Bob Peters’ bred Arcadia Park was coming into the Listed Bunbury Cup (2000m) off the back of a handy third in the Listed Detonator Stakes where he finished third.

Arcadia Park sat midfield in the running line behind front-runner Fancy Red before Clint Johnston-Porter pulled the trigger at the 900m.

The surprise move caught the others who were napping, but it also left the cerise and white silks in front a long way from home.

“Any other horse and I probably wouldn’t have done something clever like that,” Johnston-Porter said after the 4yo gelding held out Silver Eye and Snazzler.  “He’s an out-and-out stayer and I thought that was the only way we could beat them.

“He’s fit with a bit of grit and Michael (Grantham) does a terrific job training him to tough it out through the line.  He will get 2400m on his ear and the Pinjarra Cup won’t be a problem.” 

The $150,000 LR Pinjarra Cup (2300m) is set down for Sunday, March 22.

Bred in Arcadia Park one of four winners, and the lone stakes winner to date out of the G2-winning Domesday mare Arcadia Dream, who interestingly has been based in New Zealand since 2018 and her most recent deliveries are a 2yo filly, yearling colt and filly foal all by Ocean Park.

Arcadia Dream is a half-sister to triple G1-winning Pierro mare Arcadia Queen, who was herself sold at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale to Arrowfield Stud for $3.2 million. 

Ocean Park has been having an extraordinary run of late with his fillies Ohope Wins and Autumn Glory finishing one-two in the recent G1 New Zealand Oaks before Autumn Glory took on the boys in the G1 New Zealand Derby where she finished a gallant second to her stablemate.

Autumn Glory will now join the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable and be aimed at the G1 ATC Oaks.

Waikato Stud will present a colt by Ocean Park out of their two-time Group 1 winner Never Been Kissed at the 2026 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale as Lot 463 – click to view.