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Ocean knight explosive in Caulfield debut

Ocean Knight (Ocean Park x The Iffraaj Dame) defied a betting drift to register an impressive debut win at Caulfield.

Coming from back in the field, Ocean Knight stormed down the outside to take out the Wellington R.C Handicap (1200m) on Saturday.

Drifting from $5 out to $8.50, Ocean Knight, under Regan Bayliss, raced away over the final 100m to defeat Sizzleme ($11) by 2-3/4 lengths with Dark Villain ($21) a long-neck away third.

Ocean Knight was purchased by Lindsay Park and Champion Thoroughbreds for $115,000 from Trelawney Stud's 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier draft.

Lindsay Park co-trainer Tom Dabernig said he wasn't surprised by the win of Ocean Knight, a son of 2012 Cox Plate winner Ocean Park.

He said the plan was to let the speed go, get to the outside and run on.

Dabernig said he was impressed by the colt's turn of foot.

"We've always liked him and being by Ocean Park we didn't think he'd be a two-year-old," Dabernig said.

"But this preparation he's done very well in his jumpouts and this looked a nice race for him.

"We went in with medium expectation, thinking he'd hit the line, but he hit the line a bit stronger than all the others."

Dabernig said Ocean Knight was likely to have his next start in the Listed Anzac Day Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.

Later in the card Reilmartini (O'Reilly x Martini Red) took his record to three wins from four starts when successful in the Walk for Phil Handicap (1200m).

The son of multiple Group Three winner Martini Red was purchased by trainer Darren Weir and bloodstock agent John Foote.-AAP