Gary Hennessey was a small time trainer in Matamata before he struck a wonder horse

Hennessey paid NZ$150,000 for Ocean Park on behalf of two Hong Kong clients Andrew Wong and Steven Yan. The stallion is out of Gr.1 Stradbroke winner Thorn Park (Spinning World), and highly successful dam, Sayyida (Zabeel). The pedigree provided an ideal combination of exceptional strength, power, and endurance across the lineage. Before he won Group one races, his owners suggested Ocean Park should be sent to Hong Kong, but his trainer and part owner resisted and wanted to keep training him in New Zealand. After a promising three-year-old season, Ocean Park rose to prominence in the spring of his four-year-old campaign, winning four Group One races in a row.

Ocean Park made his inaugural appearance at the Poverty Bay turf club, where he achieved a conclusive victory, albeit in a dead heat with Jakob Gambino. He showcased his exceptional capabilities once again with another impressive triumph in a 1500m 3YO event at Ellerslie, winning by four lengths. However, a true display of his ability came at his third start in the Gr.2 Great Northern Guineas at Ellerslie. After being held up for a run well into the straight, Ocean Park finally got clear and stormed home impressively to only miss by a head against Knight's Tour. He started a short-priced favourite at his next start in the Gr.3 Wellington Guineas and won easily, being eased down by rider Chad Ormsby in the final stages. That victory saw him defeat two very classy 3yos in Nashville and Burgundy. In his next start the horse was narrowly beaten in the Waikato Guineas by the incredibly talented, Silent Achiever. His only other notable performance as a 3yo in 2012 was an unlucky 2nd in the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas behind Laser Hawk, going down by half a neck.

The following season Ocean Park resumed in the Makfi Challenge Stakes at Hastings. After being ridden quietly back in the field, rider Lisa Allpress found a gap in the straight and he burst through for an emphatic win over Xanadu. He was then taken across to Australia on a preparation geared towards the Gr.1 W.S Cox Plate (2040m). After scoring an impressive win in the Gr.1 Underwood Stakes (1800m), he followed up with a narrow win in the Gr.1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m). Sent out 3rd favourite in the Cox Plate, Glen Boss ensured that Ocean Park was ridden back cold in the field so that he had a 'bunny' to chase. After coming wide around the field on the home turn he sprinted after All Too Hard and got up for a narrow win, with Pierro 3rd. His spring campaign was rounded out with a close third behind Alcopop and Glass Harmonium in the prestigious Gr.1 LKS Mackinnon Stakes (2000m). It was an exceptional campaign where Ocean Park took on the best at home and abroad with quality wins and placings.

Ocean Park was retired in 2013 after suffering a tendon injury running in the Dubai Duty Free. The plan was to go on to Royal Ascot after the $5 million race, but the decision was made to end the horse's career and find a deal with Waikato Stud for the stallion. In just over ten years, Ocean Park became a breeding powerhouse, producing over 20 Stakes winners and 35 noted Stakes performers. His Group class offspring include; Kolding, Tofane, Kovalica, Ocean Billy, Star Of The Seas, Oceanex Fabric and Our Hail Mary. All told, Ocean Park has sired 254 individual winners and has achieved a 64.8% winners-to-runners ratio. Weowna Park was set up off the back of Ocean Park's success and is not far from the Hennessy racing base at Kingston Lodge. Just a few kms by road, the 20ha property was purchased purposefully to enhance the Kingston Lodge Matamata facilities and allow an expansion of breeding operations.

RACE RECORD - 15: 8-3-1

EARNINGS - A$2,692,126

W. S. Cox Plate (2012)

Caulfield Stakes (2012)

Underwood Stakes (2012)

Challenge Stakes (2012)

Wellington Guineas (2012)

New Zealand Stakes (2013)