Ohope Wins shows X-factor in Ellis Classic as NZ Oaks looms

Ohope Wins now races in the green and white colours of Yulong. Photo / Kenton Wright

Progressive filly Ohope Wins completed the perfect dress rehearsal for the New Zealand Oaks in a fortnight when she stormed home out wide from last on the corner to take out the Ellis Fillies Classic at Te Rapa on Saturday.

Carrying the colours of leviathan breeding and racing operation, Yulong Thoroughbreds, who purchased her in late January after she had won the Group 2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes on New Year’s Day, the daughter of Ocean Park started a warm favourite.

Rider Joe Doyle employed similar tactics, dropping the filly to the rear from a wide barrier and lobbing along in a good rhythm as Fly Zenno set up a middling early pace before being joined by Chilling Out, who had pulled her way forward after failing to settle when caught out wide.

That pair injected some speed into proceedings travelling past the 700m, with Doyle and Ohope Wins still back last but looking to get to the outer in the home straight.

The well fancied Tajana and Single Red went clear at the 300m, with Ohope Wins winding up strongly but still at least six lengths from the front.

Just as the leading pair looked to have the finish to themselves, Ohope Wins hit overdrive and swept past them both to defeat Single Red by half a length, with Tajana a further neck back in third.

Lance O’Sullivan, who prepares the filly in partnership with Andrew Scott, reiterated that the main target for the filly is the New Zealand Oaks.

“It was some performance as she has given them all a big start,” O’Sullivan said.

“Coming to the corner I thought she was going to have to be pretty good, and when Joe got her to the outside and gave her clear air she showed she is a filly well above average.

“The plan has always been to go to the Oaks and we certainly won’t be changing that plan.

“She looks like she will be very competitive in that and I’m thrilled for Yulong who have come on board.

“She is fit so it will be just maintenance work now as she is ready [for the Oaks].

“We have always thought she would come into her own over a middle distance and she has a beautiful action and one we have always liked.”

Doyle thought he might be running for minor money early in the run home but praised the filly for her tremendous will to win.

“I was thinking ‘wow’ all the way up the straight as they put the blinkers on her today and she travelled a lot better,” he said.

“We still had an awful lot of ground to make up, and I did think she might run a nice third or fourth and we would be happy, but she just picked them up and she is a bit of a superstar.

“She has the right attitude and is very brave. She had been lazy in the past and we knew we would just take our time and I didn’t have to get serious until the last 100m, where she was always going to win.”

Ohope Wins has collected two victories from just five starts and more than $319,00 in prizemoney. She is now listed as the $2.20 fixed-odds favourite for the New Zealand Oaks at Ellerslie on February 21.

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk