Cox Plate Winning Trainer Seeking More International Glory

Media Release - Wednesday May 23

Matamata trainer Gary Hennessy will be looking to add further international success to his CV when he lines up last-start Group Two winner Ocean Emperor in the S$1,5 million Invitational Kranji Mile (1600m) in Singapore on Saturday.

Ocean EmperorHennessy campaigned Waikato Stud resident stallion and multiple Group One winner Ocean Park in both Australia and Dubai five years ago and said his experience in Singapore to date has been comparable.

"It is very similar, it is like déjà vu really," Hennessy said. "Both horses are very similar in nature and both being colts of course.

"They have lovely facilities over here, a nice StrathAyr track and a polytrack too to work on.

"He's just been using the 1000m straight polytrack and there is an inside one as well which is about 1500m around."

Ocean Emperor arrived in Singapore last Thursday with Hennessy and track rider Tui Miles and has impressed his trainer with his progress.

"He travelled over well, we are really happy with him," Hennessy said. "He lost a little bit of weight on his trip over but pretty much put it all back on within 48 hours.

"We have just been ticking him over quietly and he had a little bit of a breeze on the polytrack this (Wednesday) morning. He is looking bright and we couldn't be happier."

Ocean Emperor will be one of three international acceptors in Saturday's race after the withdrawal of the English-trained Here He Comes through injury. The Zabeel six-year-old will be joined by Hong Kong raiders Southern Legend and Horse of Fortune.

"Caspar Fownes horse (Southern Legend) ran third in a Group One in his last start a month ago, so that would start the favourite I guess," Hennessy said. "We know Volkstok'n'barrell, but I don't know too much about the other horses."

The Kranji Mile has undertaken a makeover this year in preparation for next year's reintroduction of two international races to Singapore and Hennessy has welcomed the change, particularly as his connections look to a potential stallion career for their $450,000 2013 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale purchase.

"It is a lovely race to have the opportunity to run in and if he was successful it would only help his CV and future stallion prospects," he said. "He is a very well-bred horse, by Zabeel out of Tootsie, and is a magnificent looking horse and he was an expensive yearling.

"(A stallion career) has always been in the back of our mind. He's a horse with a pedigree and he deserves an opportunity at stud at some date."

Hennessy said he will take it easy with his charge before Saturday and is not too concerned with where he draws in the feature.

"He'll just have a trot and canter, he is pretty much spot on. He's recovered really well and has been into his feed, so he's in a happy place and we couldn't do any more.

"The horse has got very good gate speed, so tends to put himself into the race. He's got that tactical speed that can normally help at the start no matter where he draws."

Ocean Emperor will be ridden by expat kiwi jockey Jason Collett, whose sister Alysha has recently commenced a six-month riding contract in Singapore.

"I wanted a jockey with international experience and who rides in the big races regularly," Hennessy said.

"Jason rides for Chris Waller and to me, he is in the same calibre as James McDonald except that he doesn't get the same ability of horses as James does.

"I also know his uncle Jimmy well as he used to ride for me. I actually know the whole Collett family and I hope Jason can bring me luck on Saturday."

Meanwhile, Ocean Emperor's spring targets remain uncertain with quarantine after Saturday's race ruling him out of the first leg of the Hawke's Bay Spring Carnival.

"He'll have to do three weeks here (in quarantine) and another two weeks in New Zealand," Hennessy said. "That probably means we won't be able to run him in the Tarzino Trophy.

"We'll just have to see and we'll maybe look at Australia, or if he did happen to win I am sure my partners would like to take him up to Hong Kong for the international in December." – NZ Racing Desk.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Sunday November 3
Here is the full list of 59 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
Coolmore Set Justify Fee for 2025
Coolmore have announced the US fee for Justify in 2025 with the undefeated Triple Crown winner priced at $US250,000 to head  their roster of 16 stallions at Ashford Stud in Kentucky.
Sires With Winners - Monday November 4
Here is the full list of 21 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Kiwi Bred Grey Wins Subzero for OTI at Flemington
New Zealand-bred gelding Cloudland proved a handful for James McDonald at Flemington on Tuesday, but the champion jockey was in a forgiving mood after they had claimed top honours in the Subzero Handicap.
Melbourne Cup Pedigree Analysis - Do It Yourself
Breednet has produced a great page with click through to five generation pedigrees for all the Melbourne Cup runners, so for amateur pedigree buffs looking to have a Cup flutter based pedigree here’s your chance  to DIY it!
Melbourne Cup Tips – Tara Talks Racing
Tara Talks Racing is now online having had a Sunday arvo drink or two as we go through the Cup horses, so what do Clocker and I like for this year’s Melbourne Cup?
All Too Hard's Arran Bay Brave in the Furphy Plate
Phillip Stokes admitted his preference was to run Arran Bay in the Listed John Letts Cup at Morphettville but was overruled by the owners, who made the correct decision in favouring the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) at Flemington.
Cup Day Stakes-Winner for So You Think
The Listed VRC TAB Trophy (1800m) for three year-olds on Cup Day at Flemington drew a competitive field of up and comers with So You Think gelding Opening Address stamping himself as a bright prospect for the future with a stylish victory.