The John O’Shea-trained Southern Lad (Ocean Park) won the time-honoured Listed Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton on Wednesday under a perfectly-timed Christian Reith ride.

The six-year-old gelding, who sports the colours of Champion Thoroughbreds, notched the sixth win of his career from 32 starts, when coming from midfield to get the better of the favourite Phobetor (Dream Ahead).

“He needs that kind of ride and it was perfect,” O’Shea told news.com.au.

“The Mark Newnham horse (Blazing Miss) wasn’t taking him anywhere, so it was really good to get a gun run like that.

“We were keen to stay one-off so we weren’t dictated to and when he got a bit of clear air he was going to be hard to hold out because his work on Saturday was first class.”

Bred by Greg Tomlinson’s Nearco Stud, Southern Lad is one of 16 stakes winners by high-class Waikato Stud sire Ocean Park, and is out of the Orientate mare Distinctive Lass.

Southern Lad is the fourth stakes winner out of Distinctive Lass, who is also the dam of Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Kahma Lass (NZ) (Darci Brahma), in addition to Kuro (NZ) (Denman) and Distinctive Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma).

Distinctive Lass visited Darci Brahma last season