O’Reilly still breaking records

O’Reilly provided the star act on the closing day of the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka this afternoon. His son broke the auction record of $500,000 when he was knocked down for $525,000 to Hong Kong interests.

He was offered by Bruce and Maureen Harvey’s Ascot Farm, whose expectations were exceeded. “We thought he would make close to $400,000 the way he had breezed up – you don’t see them break 10 seconds as easily as he did,” Bruce Harvey said. “Everyone who has ridden him says he’s a machine so we were hopeful without being over confident.”

Pinhooked as a weanling at Karaka last year for $165,000, the half-brother by O’Reilly to the stakes winner Avisto was bought by Hong Kong trainer Dennis Yip and agent William Tai for owner Mr IP Chun Shing, who was on his first visit to New Zealand. “I followed the advice of my trainer,” he said. “It was a little higher that we expected, but we said we would get the one that we liked.”