O’Reilly Unearths Another Top Prospect

26 October 2012

Champion sire O’Reilly produced another potential Group One propsect at Hastings where High Fashion cut a quality figure. The Garry Chittick-bred filly had finished third on debut earlier this month and showed pleasing improvement yesterday.

“She finished a length behind a horse (Gr 2 Wellington Guineas hope Platinum Kingdom) that had won two races at her first start and she’s a filly I rate quite highly,” successful jockey Hayden Tinsley said. “She’s right up there with Lovetessa so Kevin (Gray) has got two really nice fillies.” Lovetessa is another daughter of O’Reilly who won at her second appearance.

Nominated for the Gr 1 Levin Classic, High Fashion was bought out of WS’s Premier draft at Karaka last year by the trainer’s son Stephen for $30,000. She is out of the stakes performed Pins mare Pin High, who is a half-sister to the Gr 2 Waikato Gold Cup winner Ultimate Aim. He was also Gr 1 placed in the Auckland, Wellington and Avondale Cups.

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.

9 July 2026

Oilman’s stud stake could change course of NZ breeding

Eighteen months ago, Texas oilman Nelson Bunker Hunt walked through the lush Waikato pasture of Matamata’s Balcarres Stud and announced he wanted some just like it for his own.

Today he has-360 acres about a mile down the road which has been transformed from a dairy farm to one of New Zealand’s leading horse and cattle breeding establishments.