G3 TAB Mile trifecta for Waikato sires

Recording his first Group victory, and second at black-type level after success in the Listed Lindauer Stewards Stakes some 12 months back, Ocean Park gelding Mystic Park led home an impressive one-two-three result for the Waikato stallions, defeating the Waikato Stud-bred pair Sir Albert (Savabeel ex Diana Dors) and Cannon Hill (Ardrossan ex Vanilla Essence) in Wednesday’s Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) at Riccarton Park.

Trained by Michael and Matthew Pitman, the 6-year-old gelding started on the second line of betting in the 13-horse field behind Sir Albert, who was chasing three consecutive wins off his last start Listed success over 2000m at the track.

Settling three-wide with cover back in the field, Mystic Park was ridden by the Victorian-based, New Zealand-born Daniel Stackhouse.

As the field headed into the home straight, Cannon Hill secured a run between the leading duo, while Sir Albert was coming down the outside with Mystic Park peeling off his back to commence his run.

With 200m to run, the Waikato Stud sired trio were in a line, spread wide across the track with it clear one of them would triumph in the feature race of the day.

With Sir Albert and Mystic Park getting the better of Cannon Hill, the pair pulled away to fight it out as Mystic Park got his head down on the line, scoring by a narrow, but decisive half-neck margin.

Co-trainer Michael Pittman highlighted what a tricky year it had been for the horse.

“It’s a bit of a cliché, I suppose, but I set him for this race 12 months ago,” stated Pittman post-race. “It’s our third time winning the race, and they’ve all been with really nice horses.”

“People don’t know this, but the reason he didn’t end up running in the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m) was because he broke his tail just after he won the Stewards.”

“My wife, my son and my staff deserve so much credit, they put so much work in and we were so confident, especially after Ocean Light (Ocean Park) ran second (earlier in the meeting over 2000m). Diane (wife) said if he could run second, this horse could win and win easily.”

Secured for just $40,000 from the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale draft of Kilgravin Lodge, Mystic Park’s earnings sit at just shy of $400,000 after his eight career wins.

One of 23 individual stakes winners for Ocean Park, the five-time Group 1 winner was represented by three two-year-olds selling on the first day of the NZB Ready To Run Sale highlighted by our Ocean Park x Pretty gelding (Lot 51) selling for $280,000 to Peter Ho.