He was only winning a Newcastle maiden two months ago, but the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Oceanic Flash ($9) now has a Saturday metropolitan win to his name after out-toughing them in the Heineken 3 Handicap over 2400m at Randwick Kensington.
The son of Scared Falls held off the Chris Waller-trained Born A King ($7) by a head with Waller’s other galloper Black Queen ($8.50) a further three quarters of a length back in third.
It was a slowly run affair with Ladylovestogamble and race favourite Herman Hesse absolutely crawling up in front, but they had no answers in the straight fading to finish eighth and fifth respectively.
Oceanic Flash has hit a purple patch of form since that Newcastle maiden victory, now winning four of his past five outings with a credible third at Warwick Farm in between.
Co-trainer Ryan was grateful he still had the horse in his care, as it had been a patient wait for his owners.
“Six months ago I had to talk the owners out of passing him on because I always said he wouldn’t be any good until we get over a mile and a half,” Ryan said.
“He’s had a terrific prep, he was stiff first-up over 1500m at Goulburn (when running fifth).
“Then he won three and ran third the other day in a bad run race.
“He just out-toughs them, he just gets his head down and has a crack.”
Ryan was full of praise of the ride of apprentice Tom Sherry, who has started to figure out the four-year-old and provided some weight relief with his 1.5kg claim.
“Tom rode him terrific, had him in a gun spot. He knew what he had underneath him,” Ryan said.
“When he won at Wyong and when he won at Warwick Farm the first time he’s done a few things wrong and wanted to run off the track, but Tom’s seemed to have worked him out and he’s going good.”
As to what’s next for the progressive stayer, Ryan has some grand plans in mind.
“Each prep he’s just got better and better and better,” Ryan said.
“He could be a Sydney Cup horse next year as a five-year-old.”