O’Reilly Colt Top Sale Lot

10 August 2012

Champion sire O’Reilly provided the star turn at New Zealand Bloodstock’s South Island Sale today. The two-year-old realised the top price of the auction when he was knocked down for $145,000.

Offered by Berkley Stud, the colt is a brother to the triple stakes winning filly and 2006 NZ Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year Ombre Rose and half-brother to 10-time Australian winner Crabs (Danasinga). The hammer came down to the bid of Mr NC Chan, of Hong Kong, and the strength of the dam side was one of the features that drew him to the two-year-old.

“I liked this colt because the dam line is very strong and his sire O’Reilly is a very successful stallion in Hong Kong,” he said. “He will be pre-trained in New Zealand for a year but I haven’t decided where yet and, depending on how he develops, I intend to send him to Hong Kong. I will be my first season with a permit in Hong Kong so I have come here to buy a few horses and I will take the best up to Hong Kong next year.”

Tivaci’s Movie Night steals the show at Newcastle

A sister to the Gr.1 ATC Flight Stakes (1600m) winner Never Been Kissed, the Waikato Stud-bred and raced Movie Night (NZ) was rewarded for her consistency, breaking her maiden with an all-the-way win over 1400m at Newcastle for trainer Tom Charlton.

9 July 2026

Oilman’s stud stake could change course of NZ breeding

Eighteen months ago, Texas oilman Nelson Bunker Hunt walked through the lush Waikato pasture of Matamata’s Balcarres Stud and announced he wanted some just like it for his own.

Today he has-360 acres about a mile down the road which has been transformed from a dairy farm to one of New Zealand’s leading horse and cattle breeding establishments.