O’Reilly’s Son Dashes To Group One Victory

Champion WS stallion O’Reilly was credited with his 14th individual Gr 1 winner when Shamexpress downed his older rivals in the Newmarket Handicap. Prepared on the track by Danny O’Brien, the three-year-old powered home late to claim the feature sprint.

“It has been a long range plan since Coolmore day and he has come here in great shape,” O’Brien said. “We got the ride right today he was just too close the other day, Craig produced him beautifully and he let down like a top class Group One sprinter. He wanted to charge early but Craig fortunately buried him and when he did see the daylight he really let go.”

Jockey Craig Newitt said he came to races pretty confident Shamexpress could get the job done. “He was the forgotten horse really cause his trial here on Tuesday was for everyone to see. “He went equally if not better than the other three-year-old and he was all the talk, but I knew as long as my bloke relaxed he would launch late and that is exactly what he did.”

A $130,000 Karaka yearling out of Beltana Stud’s draft, Shamexpress is from the Volksraad mare Volkrose. She is a half-sister to the Gr 3 White Robe Lodge Handicap winner O’Reilly Rose. It is also the family of the Gr 1 Caulfield Cup winner Affinity.