Australia Next for Listed Winner?
27 May 2013
Another weekend, another black-type winner for O’Reilly who celebrated his 15th stakes winner of the season on Saturday with Hera (NZ) (ex Corsica, by Centaine) taking the $50,000 Listed Graeme Thomson Jewellers Great Northern Foal Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie.
O’Reilly also sired 15 stakes winners in the 2007/08 season and with a few stakes races left in Australasia and Asia this season, there is still a chance he will exceed that tally.
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Hera is O'Reilly's 15th stakes winner this season. |
Saturday’s Great Northern Foal Stakes was also a good result for Hera’s trainer Roger James who won last year’s running with Misstrum who then went on to win the Listed Soliloquy Stakes at three.
Hera came into the Listed race having won her last start at Tauranga and she was impressive on Saturday, hitting the lead at the top of the straight and maintaining a strong gallop in the heavy conditions to win by 1.3 lengths.
“It was a very professional effort,” commented Roger James. “To hold off the field down the length of the Ellerslie straight is not easy but she kept her line the whole way and Matt Cameron who rode her said she had a bit in hand at the finish.”
“She is a good moving filly and I was surprised how well she handled the wet, she seemed to just skim over the ground.
“She may head to Melbourne or Sydney yet. The strength of their 1400-1600 metre two-year-old races drops off a bit this time of year and should she strike a wet track I think she would handle it better than most. She has come through the race well so I will make a decision shortly.”
Hera was bred by Garry Chittick and has won two of her five starts for her owners Don & Fran Dixon.
The two-year-old daughter of O’Reilly was purchased by Roger James from Waikato Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2012 Karaka Select Sale for just $28,000.
Rosella Farm purchased Hera’s dam Corsica from Waikato Stud at last year’s National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale for just $1,000.