The road to the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) commences on Saturday for New Zealand bred mare Oceanex (NZ) (Ocean Park) when she contests the MRC Members’ Tipstar Hcp (1400m) at Caulfield.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained daughter of Ocean Park booked her passage to the two-mile feature when winning the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) in May, an exemption race for the Melbourne Cup.
“She can have a little go around with Liam Riordan (apprentice) on Saturday and then into the Makybe Diva (Gr.1, 1600m) and the Turnbull Stakes (Gr.1, 2000m),” Price said.
“She loves Flemington so she can have those two Flemington runs and then hopefully the Caulfield Cup (Gr.1, 2400m).
A $70,000 Karaka yearling purchase from Tony Rider’s Milan Park, Oceanex has continued to furnish and Price credits English jockey Tom Marquand with recommending she be tried at a staying journey, and she duly proved that theory correct with victory in the Listed Port Adelaide Cup (2500m) before her Ramsden triumph.
“It is going to be a great ride, there are a lot of people in Oceanex and they are all going to be very excited,” Price said.
