O’Reilly youngsters keenly sought after

Fresh from being crowned top Premier Sale vendors, WS was straight back into action early in the Select Sale with two satisfying results. Cambridge trainer Roger James purchased their bay O’Reilly colt out of the Gr 2 Concorde Handicap winner Irish Colleen for $115,000 and minutes later the Malaysian businessman Wayne Lim went to $130,000 for an O’Reilly colt from the family of the Group One winner Timber Trader.

James knew exactly what he was getting as he had seen his purchase a number of times before the auction. “I had viewed him at the stud on several occasions and I thought he was exactly the type of horse I like to buy,” he said. “At this stage of their development you are only buying a fraction of the horse that you will end up with and I think he will develop into a very nice athlete in time. I don’t have a confirmed client for him yet but have an inkling on who will be keen to get in to an impressive individual like this.”

Meanwhile, the O’Reilly colt out of Pins’ winning daughter Marahau made $105,000. The dam is a sister to the Listed Counties Bowl winner Shandream and the Gr 3 Thompson Handicap winner Fercertain also features on the pedigree page.

Cambridge trainer Murray Baker purchased a Savabeel filly out of Finery for $70,000 and later added another from Haberdashery for $42,000. Baker has already enjoyed success with a daughter of the Cox Plate winner having prepared the WS graduate Diademe to win the Gr 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes, the Gr 3 Westbury Classic and a third placing in the Gr 1 NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes.

Before the start of the Select session, WS announced all their yearlings would be offered with a $20,000 reserve in place. “We had a good think about it and believed it was the right thing to do as it means everyone is on a level playing field and they know exactly where they stand when the yearling enters the ring,” Mark Chittick said. “We have some superb individuals going through over the next three days and there a number of people who will get a real bargain.”