WS Stallions Produce Likely Duo

Matamata trainer Graham Richardson expects Villifye to make her mark in far stronger company off the back of her stylish maiden victory at Taupo this afternoon. The daughter of O’Reilly resumed from a four month break to down her WS-bred and raced stablemate Sequin.

A half-sister to the Gr 1 Queensland Oaks winner Miss Keepsake, Villifye had placed in one of her two previous starts and showed the benefit of a recent trial outing with a dashing display. “She was three wide the whole way and kept kicking so it was a good, gutsy effort,” Richardson said. “She’s well-bred so black type would be nice.”

He has also been impressed with Sequin who has now finished runner-up in both her appearances. “She seemed to get lost at the top of the straight so it was a good run,” he said.

“She’s still got a lot to learn but I really like her.”

By Pins, the four-year-old is out of the O’Reilly mare Glitzy who won nine races, including the Listed Rotorua Stakes and placed up to Gr 3 level. Her only other foal to race has been Sequin’s brother Glintz who has five wins and a Gr 3 runner-up finish in the Hawkesbury Gold Cup in 13 appearances from the Randwick stable of John O’Shea. He was a $A420,000 purchase from WS’s 2008 Sydney Easter Yearling Sale draft.