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.
Recent News

16 May 2025
Super stats that will turn heads
With three Group 1 winners across his first two crops – ranging from La Dorada’s (ex Gold Fever) explosive 1200m win as a two-year-old, to Feroce in the Australian Guineas and Linebacker in the Randwick …
Read More
15 May 2025
Wednesday Racing: The Super Seth show rolls on with an impressive Kensington quinella
Written by Dane McLeod of The Thoroughbred Report Kundabung hitting stride for connections The Waikato Stud silks may have finished second on the day, but the result was one to savour for the famed New …
Read More