Ocean Park Stayer Wins G3 Waikato Cup

Media Release - Saturday December 16

Consistent stayer Dionysus provided Roger James and Robert Wellwood with a positive end to a tough week when scoring a fighting victory in the Gr.3 SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup (2400m) on Saturday at Te Rapa.

Warren Kennedy drives Dionysus to victory in the Gr.3 SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup (2400m) at Te Rapa. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

The Cambridge training partners announced the retirement of superstar mare Prowess earlier in the week, but were back at the fore on Friday at Tauranga with Hastobeawinner victorious over 1400m, and headed to Te Rapa with the Cup favourite on Saturday.

With the scratching of well-fancied runner Aromatic, Dionysus became the prominent public-elect for the Cup starting a warm $2.20 favourite, with punters backing Prise De Fer on the back-up closing at $5.30.

The Ocean Park gelding jumped away in his typically tardy fashion, with a prepared Warren Kennedy quickly finding cover and slotting him into a comfortable position third-last in the early stages. The tempo was steady up front with Margaret Jean heading the field, Kennedy stalking Prise De Fer’s every move and had Dionysus travelling beautifully widest on the home turn.

Looming large on the outside, Dionysus moved up to challenge Prise De Fer, and the last 200m became a three-horse war as $27 hope Coruba Jak threatened an upset. Kingsclere’s charge proved too strong in the final bounds to score by a ½ length, with Prise De Fer gallant under the 59kg in second and Coruba Jak gaining a Group placing finishing seven lengths ahead of the remaining runners.

Advertisement

Kennedy regained the ride aboard the son of Ocean Park after claiming the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) last season, followed by a third in the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m).

“He went absolutely fantastic,” Kennedy said.

“He’s a lovely horse and I think Roger and Robert have really brought him on the right way. He’s super fit at the moment and enjoying his racing, he can be a handful but he did everything right today, bar jumping out of the gates which he never gets right.

“The race didn’t map out as I thought it would, I looked up and saw El Nymph back where I was, so I wondered where the pace would come from, but they keep a reasonable gallop all the way round. I got on the back of Prise De Fer who I thought was probably the next best, he tracked me through and this horse settled beautifully in the run, he was breathing well.

“I wanted to put the horse (Prise De Fer) with the biggest weight under pressure early, so I challenged him at the top of the straight and got a bit of a lead. This horse (Dionysus) was floating around quite a bit waiting for the challenge to come, and when Prise De Fer got within a neck of me, the horse realised he had to go again and kicked on.”

James was complimentary of the Cambridge trainers’ team following the victory, which couldn’t have come at better notice.

“There’s no ‘I’ in team, and we’re fortunate we have a champion team behind us. Days like this reward everybody,” Roger James said.

“Warren had it in his mind that he didn’t want to be snookered on the fence, he’s a class rider and he’d thought of everything we’d thought of. He rode him a treat.

Now a winner of six races and over $394,000 in stakes, James indicated Dionysus will now be set to defend his crown in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup on New Year’s Day at Pukekohe, whilst holding nominations for each of the Gr.3 NZ Campus For Sport and Innovation Wellington Cup (3200m), Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m), and the Gr.2 Barfoot and Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m).

“That’s the plan at this stage (Queen Elizabeth II Cup), but as always we’ll take him home and make certain he’s okay before we move on.”

Bred by Sir Patrick and Lady Justine Hogan, Dionysus was purchased for $45,000 by James and Wellwood out of Cambridge Stud’s Book 1 draft at the 2019 Karaka Yearling Sales, for prominent owners Ron and Fran Dixon.

“Ron was my first ever owner, he loves his racing and he’s been fortunate enough to have a lot of good horses along the way. Hopefully this is not his last.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Sunday May 12
Here is the full list of 68 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Blue Light Enhances Breeding Success
For successful breeding outcomes, timing is everything. The horse’s natural reproductive period coincides with the light-filled days of summer. As seasonal breeders, the naturally lengthening days of spring suppress melatonin and in turn stimulate reproductive hormones that maximise fertility for both mares and stallions.
Further Success in Japan for Australian Mares
A week after Mosheen’s son Danon Ayres Rock captured the Listed Principal Stakes at Tokyo Racetrack, another two popular Australian-bred mares, were featured among the winners in Japan.
Jungle Cat Filly Excites on Debut
It was a matter of dig where you struck gold before when Proven Thoroughbreds purchased a Jungle Cat (IRE) filly for $95,000 from the Telemon Thoroughbreds draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Stakes Double for Go Bloodstock
The yellow and white silks of Go Bloodstock were carried by two stakes-winners at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday with Thalassophile striking early in the day to win the Listed Silk Stocking and then later in the day three year-old filly Amazonian Lass got back in the winning groove when taking out the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m)
New SW for Ocean Park, Dionysus Wins G3 QEII Cup
The superlatives being used about the riding of ex-pat South African Warren Kennedy went to a new level at Te Rapa on Sunday when he picked up a winning treble that included taking the Gr.3 Windsor Park Stud Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) aboard Dionysus.
Epsom Derby Contender for Camelot
One Classic trial that did go to plan was the Group III Cashel Palace Derby Trial (1m2f) at Leopardstown with undefeated Camelot colt Los Angeles staying that way in his seasonal return.
Pedigree Watch – French Classics – More Upsets
In a Euro classic season where nothing is turning out as planned there were more upsets overnight at Longchamp with the running of the French Guineas races and again the favourites never got a look in.
Promising So You Think Goes Two for Two
The Caulfield program on Saturday produced a number of progressive winners and one to really catch the eye was So You Think gelding Sure, who made it two wins in as many starts when he strode to an easy victory.
One to Watch – Sunshine Coast
It might have been a polytrack meeting at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, but this Sntizel colt could not have won any easier.