O’Reilly dominates stakes finish

Exciting fillies Spellbinder and Hera provided WS’s champion stallion O’Reilly with a dream result on the eve of the NZ Bloodstock National Yearling Sales series. His top-notch daughters dominated the finish of the Listed NZB Insurance Karaka 3YO Mile at Ellerslie this evening with Spellbinder taking major honours.

“We bought her for $60,000 and she’s a beautifully-balanced filly and she’ll go on to perform at the highest level for sure,” purchaser and syndicate manager David Ellis said. “She’ll probably go to the Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic and then we’ll decide whether she goes to the Oaks.”

Trained by Jason Bridgman, Spellbinder had previously won the Listed Soliloquy Stakes at Ellerslie in a canter and finished third in the Gr 1 NZ 1000 Guineas. “I got off the rail and stalked her (Hera), I knew she was the one to beat and she went passed her pretty easily,” winning rider Matt Cameron said.

Hera continued her strong run of form – she won the Gr 2 Eight Carat Classic at her previous appearance – with another brave showing. She was bred and sold by WS during the Select Sale at Karaka in 2013. Her trainer Roger James went to $28,000 to secure the daughter of the Centaine mare Corsica.