O’Reilly 3YO Debuts In Style

6 October 2011

An O’Reilly three year-old was expected to win the 1250 metre maiden at Canterbury yesterday, it just wasn’t the one punters had expected. The Joe Pride-trained Toffler was sent out favourite while Chris Waller’s first starter Said Com was comparatively friendless in drifting out to 13-1 but at the post it was the latter who had the advantage after charging home to win by more than two lengths in an impressive debut.

Partnered by Hugh Bowman, the WS-bred and sold Said Com was awkwardly placed after turning for home, but once he eased into the clear produced an eye-catching turn of foot to win. A $290,000 purchase for Waller at Karaka last year, Said Com is by champion sire O’Reilly and is the second winner for the Centaine mare Centa Belt, a half-sister to Gr I winner Master Belt and stakes-winners Minnie Belt and Buckle Your Belt.WS sires had a running double in the first two races at Canterbury with Pins filly Shuswap taking the opening race on the card.

Source: Breednet

The Corner with Garry Chittick

It would appear I now have to continue my weekly Corner with the amount of rumblings at the start of our new racing season. I have been around long enough to know we can never please all; my tenure as Chairman of the Racing Board was subjected to as much vitriol as subsequent Boards have had to bear, so what’s different this time, or is it different.

5 August 2026

First foal for Waikato’s Group 1 winner Skew Wiff

Group 1-winning Savabeel mare Skew Wiff (ex Starvoia), known affectionately as ‘Wiffy’, foaled a filly by Super Seth in the early hours of Wednesday, 5 August.