Deserved Matriarch win caps trainers’ big weeks

Written by Richard Edmunds

Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr completed a hat-trick for the Melbourne Cup Carnival when Oceanex (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) snapped a run of bad luck in Saturday’s G2 TAB Matriarch S.

The Caulfield partnership had previously celebrated wins with Teleplay (Written Tycoon) in Tuesday’s G3 Jim Beam S. and with Savaheat (NZ) (Savabeel) in a BM90 H. on Thursday.

The valuable and satisfying victory by Oceanex in Saturday’s $300,000 was icing on the cake.

“It’s fantastic,” Kent said. “We thought we were a bit slim coming into the carnival, with only nine runners. So three winners is just massive. Big thanks to all of the staff, they’ve all done their part.

“To be in partnership with Mick and winning these races at this carnival is fantastic. It’s the best job in the world. Mick is brilliant to work with and I’ve been so privileged. We’ve got a great team supporting us.

“To get these sorts of results on days like this, it’s unbelievable. I could never have imagined it 12 months ago.”

The Matriarch was a new pinnacle in the career of Oceanex.

Bought for just $70,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, the Ocean Park filly had shown plenty of ability with three wins in the early part of her career. But she has endured a luckless spring, finishing third in the G2 Stocks S., second in the Pinker Pinker and a troubled sixth in the G3 Coongy Cup.

“This horse has been giving me grief for the past month,” part-owner Luke Wilkinson said. “I actually didn’t go to Moonee Valley for her last-start run (finishing second on October 25), because I was so upset with a couple of rides she’d been given leading into it.

“But Mick and Michael kept the faith.”

Saturday was a welcome deviation from her run of bad luck. Ridden by Jye McNeil, she raced in sixth place before making her bid in the straight.

In a scramble to the finish with only 2.5l covering the first 10 horses home, it was Oceanex who finished strongest to score by 0.5l. Miss Siska (So You Think {NZ}) was second, with longshot Aristocratic Miss (Foxwedge) third.

“Jye gave her a perfect ride, the gaps opened at the right time, and gee she was tough,” Kent said. “She’s tough and loves to find the line. This is massive for her. She’s now a Group 2 winner, so it’s a big boost to her pedigree.”

Oceanex has now won four of her 13 starts and more than $410,000 in stakes for a big group of owners that includes Wilkinson, a former bloodstock manager for the Price stable.

“It’s fantastic to see her get the job done on the big stage,” he said. “She’s got a fantastic pedigree as well – her dam Danex (NZ) (Danasinga {NZ}) was stakes-placed and has also produced a Group 3 winner Amexed (NZ) (Pentire {GB}).

“This horse was one of the hardest ones to sell. I remember, when I worked with Mick many moons ago, that she sat on the website for about six months. She cost only 70 grand, but she sat there for a while before all of this ownership group came together.

“Now we’ve got a wonderful filly who’s worth a lot of money. I’d love to breed with her one day, but I might have to save some pennies and buy some of the other owners out.”

The win added to an outstanding spring for Waikato Stud stallion Ocean Park (NZ), headed by the spectacular feats of G1 Epsom H. and Golden Eagle winner Kolding (NZ).

As an inevitable result of such a tightly contested battle to the finish, the Matriarch had some hard-luck stories.

One of the most obvious was the multiple New Zealand Group 1 winner Danzdanzdance (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who is now in the stable of champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller. She appeared to be making a promising run from well back in the field, but was checked sharply inside the last 100 metres and crossed the line untested in fifth place.

The favourite, Danzdanzdance’s stablemate Girl Tuesday (Street Cry {Ire}) was another 0.5l behind her in seventh, but only 2.05l behind the winner.