Kelly does it for O’Reilly

22 November 2014

Kelly O’Reilly provided champion WS stallion O’Reilly with his latest black type credit when she rallied strongly to claim today’s Gr.2 NRM/Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes at Avondale. Out of a Pins mare, she is trained at Cambridge by Tony Pike for his parents Wayne and Vicki.

“She’ll obviously be going to stud at some stage so a win like this is very special,” Pike said. “I was hoping she would hold on for second and then she stuck her head down and came back.”

Kelly O’Reilly rallied bravely in the closing 100 metres under rider Leith Innes to score by a head. “I thought there would be plenty of speed in the race and Leith rode her perfectly,” Pike said. “She really deserves this – she’s a good, honest mare.”

She has now won seven races and is likely to progress toward the Christmas meeting at Auckland. “She can’t handle too many runs on firm tracks, but there will be a nice race for her over the Ellerslie carnival,” Pike said.

Ocean Park Trans-Tasman Double

With Andrew Forsman’s 3yo Ocean Park filly Pine Leaf breaking her maiden by a widening four and a quarter-lengths in the last at Cambridge on Wednesday, celebrations continued as just ten minutes later it was the Chirs Waller trained Velaris who saluted at Canterbury with fellow Ocean Park runner I Park finishing a gallant third.

14 July 2026

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.