Gary Hennessy’s sensational Kiwi galloper Ocean Park handed ace Aussie hoop Glen Boss with his third Cox Plate victory at Moonee Valley this afternoon, the four-year-old scoring their incredible fourth straight Group 1 win with the Cox Plate 2012 result going his way.

In a thrilling edition of the $3 million Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) Thorn Park gelding Ocean Park gunned down an outstanding three-year-old in last start Caulfield Guineas winner All Too Hard to score victory by a neck in the weight-for-age championship.

Finishing off the winning Cox Plate Trifecta 2012 a further three and three-quarters of a length away third was then another ace youngster in Gai Waterhouse’s Golden Slipper winner Pierro ($5.50)

Continuing the flying record of four-year-olds in the Cox Plate the lightly-raced Ocean Park became the 27^th Cox Plate winner to do so in their 4YO season.

Silencing any of the few remaining doubters out there the horse displayed a heart-pumping will to win to complete a quartet of Group 1 spring wins – Ocean Park taking out the Underwood Stakes – Caulfield Stakes – Cox Plate triple.

The surprise early leader in the Cox Plate field was Australian Derby winner Ethiopia ($18) who never gave up hanging in to finish a gallant fourth, battling for the front running position with the Waterhouse-trained Proisir.

All Too Hard meanwhile had a nice run third on the inside while one of the sentimental favourites More Joyous was trapped three wide in fourth.

Once they got towards the turn for home Ocean Park ($6) and Boss started to make their move on the outside, the hunter chasing down his three-year-old prey.

In a great contest the New Zealand raider gunned down the Hawkes-trained All Too Hard ($9), who was brave in defeat, to win by a neck and hand his home country their first Cox Plate in over a decade.

It was a perfectly timed ride by Boss, who had previously won the Cox Plate with the mighty Makybe Diva (2005) and then So You Think for their first in 2009, who presented the horse at the right time and didn’t get to the front too soon tucking Ocean Park up ready to pounce.

And pounce they did.

Boss described the 2012 Cox Plate victory with Ocean Park, a horse he had rated a winner since first partning them for their second to Laser Hawk in the Rosehill Guineas back in March, as his “greatest achievement” as a jockey.

“It feels like my greatest achievement in this sport so far,” Boss, a triple Melbourne Cup winning jockey, said.

“I’ve been on this horse’s cause this whole time.

“I’ve been saying he’s a winner.

“He just wants to win, he just want to beat whatever is in front of him.

“He was a great horse on the day.

“He doesn’t care what time they’re running, he doesn’t care what’s in front of him he just wants to win.

“I penciled this horse in after the Rosehill Guineas.

“I kept telling everyone he’s a serious, serious racehorse.

“He’s won his last four races all at group 1 race

“What a great colt.

“Once he got that three-year-old in his sights mate he just let go he just surged and surged and surged.

“He’s got a great will to win.”

Hennessy now plans to back up the 2012 Cox Plate winner in the $1 million Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day next Saturday where they are sure to start near odds-on territory in the markets.

Already the countdown is on to the Cox Plate 2013 next spring with the next wave of weight-for-age champs gearing up for the ‘race where legends are made’

In the meantime you can get in on the rest of the spring racing and betting this season online at bookmaker.com.au – the online bookie offering all the best Melbourne Cup odds and betting options.

2012 Cox Plate Results & Finishing Order

Moonee Valley Race 8 – 27/10/2012

Place	#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Br.	Wgt.	SP
1	9	OCEAN PARK (NZ)	Gary Hennessy	Glen Boss	–	9	57.5kg	$6
2	13	ALL TOO HARD	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Chris Munce	0.3L	3	49.5kg	$9
3	12	PIERRO	Gai Waterhouse	Corey Brown	4.05L	7	49.5kg	$5.50
4	8	ETHIOPIA	Pat Carey	Rhys McLeod	4.25L	6	57.5kg	$18
5	1	SHOOT OUT	Chris Waller	Hugh Bowman	4.65L	4	59kg	$17
6	11	SOUTHERN SPEED	Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas	Luke Nolen	4.85L	13	57kg	$41
7	4	GREEN MOON (IRE)	Robert Hickmott	Craig Williams	6.1L	5	59kg	$5F
8	14	PROISIR	Gai Waterhouse	Craig Newitt	6.2L	10	49.5kg	$10
9	2	SINCERO	Stephen Farley	Michael Rodd	6.4L	12	59kg	$31
10	7	HAPPY TRAILS	Paul Beshara	Kerrin McEvoy	6.5L	8	59kg	$61
11	10	MORE JOYOUS (NZ)	Gai Waterhouse	Nash Rawiller	7.5L	11	57kg	$8.50
12	6	LINTON	John Sadler	Steven Arnold	7.6L	14	59kg	$101
13	3	GLASS HARMONIUM (IRE)	Michael Moroney	James McDonald	9.1L	2	59kg	$81
14	5	REKINDLED INTEREST	Jim Conlan	Dwayne Dunn	11.35L	1	59kg	$26