Weight for age form, for weight for age racing, an old adage that has stood the test of time, was reignited with the win of Ocean Park in the Sportingbet Cox Plate, at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

He was always going to be the horse to beat going into the race, having won at his last three starts in Group 1 company under the weight for age scale.

His trainer, Gary Hennessy, had set his horse for the race, this was the one that was pencilled in, everything was going to plan, the Underwood Stakes then the Caulfield Stakes two weeks apart, then the same time span to the Cox Plate.

Hennessy was playing his cards close to his chest, as most New Zealanders do, he was giving nothing away, he didn’t have to, his confidence was riding high after Glen Boss accepted the ride.

Boss had previously won the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes on Happy Trails, believing the gelding would not get much further than 1600 metres, therefore he was prepared to wait a bit longer before making a final decision about a ride.

Ocean Park on the outside getting the better of All Too Hard.

After winning the Underwood on Ocean Park the decision was a foregone conclusion, this would be his mount in the Cox Plate, it was sealed on the spot.

The Cox Plate has always proved a great race, its honour board is ample proof of that, more often than not it is won by the best horse in the race, this year it was Ocean Park.

Whilst he was the form horse of the race, the betting did not indicate that as Green Moon and Pierro were preferred to the winner in the market.

Happy Trails was first out of the gate, Proisir coming over quickly; More Joyous went up sharply going to the winning post the first time, Ethiopia got to the front at one stage on the side of the course.

Proisir took the field along the back of the track, Ethiopia was still there, All Too Hard was also prominentm as was More Joyous , Happy Trails,  Pierro with Green Moon closer up than Ocean Park.

When Proisir  punctured, as did More Joyous, coming towards the turn, All Too Hard loomed up quickly, as did Ethiopia , Ocean Park was running on under hard riding from Boss, the favourite, Green Moon, was merely plodding,  Sincero was doing little, nor was Southern Speed, or  Rekindle Interest, he was never in the hunt, finishing last.     

All Too Hard was being hailed the winner at the home turn, he almost had the race to himself, while Ocean Park was finishing well he never looked like overhauling the leader until about 50 metres from the winning post.

It was Boss at his best, he rode furiously on a horse that was never going to give in, he responded to every push of his rider.

Glen Boss was a touch emotional after the race, explaining the win was among the highlights of his career of which there have been many, he picked  Ocean Park out in Sydney during the autumn, and was lucky enough to secure the ride on him in the spring.

Gary Hennessy was singing the praises of the rider saying, “we had a champion on, he is not the boss he is the king, this is a great horse as well, he has now won four Group 1 races, we knew he would never give up, that is how he won the Rosehill Guineas “

John Hawkes was pleased with his three year old, All Too Hard, it was a huge run taking a good horse to beat him, he could easily become the weight for age star in the autumn.

The other three year old, Pierro, the favourite up until race day, ran well but may be better off restricted to sprint races up to 1400 metres, as for More Joyous, as game as they come, it may be time now to go to the paddock, she is a six year old mare, they don’t get any better at that age. 

The Winning Team - Glen Boss and Gary Hennessy