Ocean Park at the double

Exciting Waikato Stud stallion Ocean Park enjoyed a double strike at Riccarton with a winning double.

His progeny have been regularly hitting the mark in the 2017-18 term and the roll continued this afternoon.

Strapping three-year-old Ocean Ranger made his mark first before juvenile William James won on debut.

Trained by Bruce Tapper, Ocean Ranger sat outside the leader to the turn and was too strong in the run home.

“It was hard work out there,” rider Kylie Williams said. “Bruce said to look after him and it was a tough effort.

“He’s still immature so he’s going to be even better next season.”

Ocean Ranger is out of the Danzero mare Rhone Ranger and is from an outstanding Australian family.

It includes Ocean Park’s sire Thorn Park and the Group One winners Denise’s Joy, More Joyous, Tuesday Joy, Sunday Joy and Bentley Biscuit.

Waikato Stud graduate William James turned in an outstanding effort for his first-up success.

The Joanne Hillis-trained gelding missed the jump by two lengths and settled at the tail of the field.

Rider Shankar Muniandy angled him wide at the top of the straight and William James powered home.

To complete a royal result, Ocean Park’s daughter Miss Maxipark finished runner-up.

An $8000 Karaka yearling, William James is out of the O’Reilly mare You Too.

She is a member of the Matamata nursery’s famed family of the multiple Group One winner Glamour Puss.