Quality Sydney galloper Kontiki Park will head to the Magic Millions Stayers Cup in a fortnight after he produced an outstanding effort to win today’s listed Bernborough Handicap at Doomben.
Despite being caught deep for much of the race, the son of Thorn Park found plenty when asked by red hot rider Tommy Berry to get up in the final stride and beat Fillydelphia and Emvoss.
Unlucky at his most recent run in the Villiers Stakes at Randwick in Sydney, Kontiki Park put in the perfect trial for the $4.3 million Magic Millions raceday.
The win completed a feature race double for trainer Gai Waterhouse and jockey Tommy Berry following the outstanding win of Driefontein in the BJ McLachlan Stakes.
Berry completed the Doomben meeting with four winners after also winning races on fellow Magic Millions graduates Nuptse and Demanding Miss.
“He’s a lovely big horse who tries his heart out every time,” Waterhouse’s foreman Neville Auld told AAP.
“He likes to settle and relax in his races and the extra 200 metres at the Gold Coast will be perfect for him.”
A $150,000 purchase for Waterhouse at the 2007 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Kontiki Park was bred in New Zealand but sold in Queensland through the draft of Oakwood Farm.
Now a six time winner, Kontiki Park has earned his connections $369,900 from just 24 runs and he will now start one of the favourites in the $200,000 Magic Millions Stayers Cup (1800m) on January 14.
Kontiki Park is by Spinning World’s Stradbroke Handicap winning son Thorn Park and hails from a proven kiwi family.
His dam, the twice races Octagonal mare Pretty Special, is a daughter of the New Zealand Oaks, One Thousand Guineas and Manawata Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Snap.
Winner: Kontiki Park
Breeding: Thorn Park-Pretty Special (Octagonal)
Race: BRC Bernborough Handicap LR (1615m)
Sold for: $65,000
Sale: 2006 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale
Vendor: Oakwood Farm (As Agent)
Buyer: Magic Millions as agent
Sold for: $150,000
Sale: 2007 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Oakwood Farm (As Agent)
Buyer: Gai Waterhouse
Earnings: $369,900
Owner(s): Estate of Late Mrs VJ Smith, GM Bartlett, P Blunden, I & Mrs J Christie, Ms A Craven, Ms L Murphy, Mrs P Sheehan, JR Lindsay & B McGrath
Trainer: Gai Waterhouse (Randwick)
PICS – Dan Costello.
