To say that Yulong Investments are enjoying their racing in New Zealand would probably be an understatement.
The fifty percent share they purchased in the unbeaten filly Well Written after her second career start is quickly paying dividends with the daughter of Written Tycoon already adding a further three wins to her resume since that ownership change … including the $1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO.
The fact that Well Written is also a raging hot favourite for the $4 million NZB The Kiwi at Ellerslie, where she is due to face the starter (for the sixth time) on March 7, shows just how well Yulong and their fellow owners of Well Written are placed at this time.
But on Saturday it was two other horses racing in the Yulong colours that took centre stage at Ellerslie when the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott trained Ohope Wins and Autumn Glory gave Yulong a one-two result in the NZ$1 million, Group 1 New Zealand Oaks.
G1 QUINELLA FOR OCEAN PARK and @YulongInvest!
After back to back G2 victories, OHOPE WINS demolishes them in the G1 NZ Oaks for @WexfordStables.
Bred by great supporters of WS in Bill and Jim Gartshore!
Autumn Glory adds a valuable G1 placing to her pedigree running into… pic.twitter.com/raZlC8ixp4— Waikato Stud (@WaikatoStud) February 21, 2026
The Oaks was Ohope Wins’ third successive win and her first at Group 1 level after having previously taken out the Group 2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes over 2000m on January 1, and the Group 2 David and Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic over 2100m a little over a month later.
The step up to the 2400m of the Group 1 Oaks seemed like a logical progression, but the manner in which Ohope Wins took on and tamed the challenge of both the step up in distance and the step up in grade could not have been more outstanding, not only in terms of the end result, but also in terms of the scintillating manner in which the win was achieved.
When you have got the best horse in the race, give it space in which to unleash is obviously a belief that jockey Joe Doyle adheres to and, although the punters who supported the $2.20 favourite might have had a few concerns when Ohope Wins cornered all of eight wide and just over ten lengths off the lead … what happened next was truly riveting.
Once Doyle put Ohope Wins in clear air, the filly’s response was huge, in spite of shifting out even further early in the home straight.
With every passing stride Ohope Wins cut back her deficit to the lead.
It was like a one horse cavalry charge which the commentator described as ‘low flying’ to the point that, just when Autumn Glow was about to get the better of Single Red at the head of affairs with 180m left to run, Ohope Wins stormed past both of those runners with a momentum that left her rivals, who wouldn’t have seen her coming, with no chance to react as she raced away to a clearcut victory by an astonishing 2.50 length margin … leaving the Roger James and Robert Wellwood trained Autumn Glory, who Yulong had only purchased earlier in the week, having to be content with a highly creditable second place ahead of an equally game Single Red.
