Raider back in winning form
Ocean Raider turned his form around at Geelong on Boxing Day to post his second career victory.
Trained by Robbie Griffiths and Mathew De Kock, the four-year-old had been below par at Sandown earlier this month and bounced back in style over 1530 metres.
He was parked three and four wide at the back of the field before jockey Craig Newitt made his move near the turn and the gelding responded with an irresistible finish.
Bred by Waikato Stud, Ocean Raider was originally purchased off the Gavelhouse platform by Albury trainer Mitch Beer for $9,250 and then made $160,000 to the bid of Griffiths and Peter Ford Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
He is a son of Ocean Park and the O’Reilly mare We Love, also the dam of the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas placegetter Marine. He is now racing in Hong Kong as Jumbo Future.
We Love, who also has an unraced Ocean Park juvenile filly, is a half-sister to the Listed Widden S. winner Delta Girl and the family of the Golden Eagle winner I Wish I Win and the G1 Livamol Classic winner Savy Yong Blonk.
Ardrossan’s Group 1-placed darling wins A$300,000 Gr.2 HKJC World Pool Wakeful Stakes
Second and fourth in 1600m Group 1 races in her two previous starts since being purchased privately by OTI Racing and stepping out in Australia under Chris Waller’s racing banner, De Armas (Ardrossan) stepped up in distance at Flemington on Saturday and opened her Australian account in style in the A$300,000 Gr.2 HKJC World Pool Wakeful Stakes (2000m) on Derby Day.
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The Corner with Garry Chittick
The writing of my Corner started many years ago, motivated by an irritation that I felt needed scratching. It was never my intention to make my commentary regular; neither did I intend to reinvent the direction of racing administration. It is both disappointing and ironical that what should be a simple, straightforward business provides a regular need for comment.
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