Racing: Ocean Park takes out horse of the year award

Leith Innes and Ocean Park. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Five-time Group 1 winner in 2012-13 Ocean Park was crowned Horse of the Year at New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing's 2013 Horse of the Year Awards, held in Hamilton. Ocean Park took 44 of a possible total 46 votes.

This season the five-year-old bay horse has won 5 of his 8 starts - all Group 1 races - and $3,443,272 in prize money. His victories have come in the Cox Plate, Caulfield Stakes, Makfi Challenge Stakes, the Underwood and the Lindauer New Zealand Stakes.

The prestigious Award for Outstanding Contribution to Racing was awarded posthumously to Jim Campin, an owner, trainer and breeder of distinction in New Zealand and overseas.

Campin died in April this year aged 76. His son Mark Fraser-Campin accepted the award on behalf of his late father.

Ocean Park was also crowned Champion Middle Distance Horse unanimously; his owners - A Wong, S Yan and G Hennessy - awarded the Owner of the Year title; his breeders, Trelawney Thoroughbred Ltd - Brent and Cherry Taylor, awarded Breeders of the Year; and Ocean Park's dam, Sayyida, Broodmare of the Year.

The only other unanimous decision by the voting panel was for Sprinter of the Year, Final Touch.

Sangster took the Champion Stayer title; Ruud Awakening, Champion Two-Year-Old; and Dundeel, Champion Three-Year-Old

New Zealand Bloodstock Champion Three Year Old Filly went to Fix; and Tom's Myth was Champion Jumps Horse.

O'Reilly won an unprecedented three stallion titles in the same year - the Dewar Stallion Trophy (NZ earnings only), the Grosvenor Award (NZ and Australia) and the Centaine Award (worldwide earnings).

Premiership winner Opie Bosson was voted the Champion Jockey and Isaac Lupton awarded Champion Jumps Jockey.

Rory Hutchings collected the McBeath Champion Apprentice Rider trophy with 73 wins and $990,425 in prize money.

Dundeel's trainers - Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman - took out the Dunstan Champion Trainer title. Murray Owles took out the Media Award.

Trackside will be showing a 30-minute programme of the NZTR Horse of the Year Awards at 8.30 on Monday evening.