Daughter Of O’Reilly Impresses Again

20 November 2011

Exciting O’Reilly mare Villifiye successfully rose to a significant challenge at Pukekohe this afternoon. The four-year-old jumped to Rating 85 company and headed a competitive line-up of sprinters to down the WS-bred and sold Pins mare Shandream with a spirited finish.

Trained by Graham Richardson at Matamata, Villifye is now unbeaten in three starts this preparation after clearing maiden ranks at Taupo and then claiming a Rating 70 event at Te Rapa last month. “Winning three in a row isn’t an easy thing to do and I think she’ll go over more ground,” Richardson said.

His expectations look likely to be met as Villifye, a half-sister to Gr 1 Queensland Oaks winner Miss Keepsake, came with a sustained finishing run from the the top of the straight to nab the pacemaking Shandream. “We’ll have to make a few plans with her now and the Dunstan Stayers maybe,” Richardson said.

Further reasons to expect Villifye to handle middle distance assignments can be found in her pedigree. She is a grand-daughter of a Sir Tristram mare who is from the family of the multiple Gr 1 winner and successful sire Grosvenor and the Gr 3 Manawatu Classic winner Kyrie Eleison.

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.

9 July 2026

WS graduate Honour Roll out to add stakes success at Otaki

Waikato Stud will be cheering on one of its promising graduates on Friday when Honour Roll contests the Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Otaki. The WS-bred son of the late Champion sire …