Kontiki Park (NZ) will head to the Magic Millions Stayers Cup after producing an outstanding effort in the Listed Bernborough Handicap at Doomben on Saturday.

Kontiki Park (6g Thorn Park – Pretty Special by Octagonal) was caught deep but kept finding to score a final stride victory over Fillydelphia (Bianconi) and Emvoss (Testa Rossa).  The Gai Waterhouse trained gelding had put the writing on the wall when a last start second in the G2 Villiers Stakes at Warwick Farm.

“He’s a lovely big horse who tries his heart out every time,” Waterhouse’s foreman Neville Auld said.  “He likes to settle and relax in his races and the extra 200 metres at the Gold Coast will be perfect for him.”

The win completed a feature race double for Waterhouse and jockey Tommy Berry following the outstanding win of Driefontein in the G3 Bruce McLachlan Stakes.

Kontiki Park was bred in New Zealand but sold for $150,000 at the 2007 Gold Coast Magic Millions through Oakwood Farm.  He has earned connections $369,900 from 6 wins in just 24 runs and 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 Pretty Special has a yearling colt by Beautiful Crown and she was covered by Bon Hoffa in 2011.  

Second dam Snap (Kingdom Bay) was trained by Dave O’Sullivan for G1 victories in the New Zealand Oaks, NZ 1000 Guineas and Manawata Sires’ Produce Stakes.