Surfers Paradise (14 October 1987 - c.1999)[2][3] was a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who is best remembered for winning the Cox Plate in 1991.
[4] By Crested Wave, Surfers Paradise was named after Queensland's iconic beachside strip.
[3] Freedman later reflected that it was a 'funny feeling' in that, while he would have preferred to win, he was 'happy' that the O'Sullivans (trainers Paul and Dave and jockey Lance) had won because he had always had friendly relations with them and they had finished second in three previous runnings of the race - with Shivaree (1979), (Our) Waverley Star (1986), and Horlicks (1988).
[5] Surfers Paradise became the third New Zealand Derby winner - after Bonecrusher (1985) and Castletown (1989) - to pass $2 million in prizemoney.
After this preparation, Surfers Paradise had a further 22 starts in New Zealand, and won six races, including the Hawke's Bay Cup.