Oakland Park owners Neville and Susan Duncan celebrated the anniversary of Northerly’s dual G1 Cox Plate (2040m) triumphs with a double at Ascot on Saturday.
Decoration (Epaulette) won the first-leg in the MC Equine Surfaces Hcp (1600m) and Too Darn Stormy (Too Darn Hot) chimed in to land the last race in the Johnny Fox’s Hcp (1400m).
“It’s always good to have a winner in the famous Oakland Park Stud colours on Cox Plate Day!” Pearce Racing posted on Facebook. “It was Decoration’s second win from four starts this prep and he landed one-out and one-back from barrier seven which always had him in a position to strike.
“He worked into the clear turning for home and was able to race past the leader inside the 200m mark before lifting under the 60kg top-weight to hold off Late Arrival (Pierro) by a neck on the line.”
Decoration (Photo / Western Racepix) is the fourth winner from the first four foals from Visited (Viscount) following The Front Bar (Sessions), Necklet (Snitzel) and Garage Days (Sessions). Her 2yo filly The Drip Tray (Sessions) is with Durrant Racing and the mare was retired after foaling a filly by Ingratiating last month.
Visited was bred by Jack and Bob Ingham at Woodlands Stud and she’s a half-sister to G1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m) winner Beaded (Lonhro).
Too Darn Stormy (Too Darn Hot) is trained by Dan Morton and he completed the Oakland Park homebred double for a partnership that includes Champion trainer Ciaron Maher.
He was passed-in after failing to reach a $400,000 reserve at the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and is already half-way there after just 11 outings. He’s by Darley Stud shuttler Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) and is the final foal from G3 Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) winner Stormy Nova (Metal Storm) who was named WA Broodmare of the Year 2021-22.
Stormy Nova foaled 8 winners including the black-type winners Superstorm (G1 VRC Cantala Stakes), Cosmic Storm (G3 La Trice Classic), Mikimoto (LR Burgess Queen Stakes) and Royal Command (LR WA Tattersall’s Cup).
