Black-Type for Eight Schillings and Guns at Five

Karaka graduates claimed three of the four stakes races at the feature meeting at Trentham on Saturday with Eight Schillings (NZ) and Guns at Five (NZ) both winning their first races at stakes level.

The inform sprinter Eight Schillings (O'Reilly x Landon) brought up a stakes winning double for trainer Stephen McKee in the $50,000 Listed Sakhee's Secret Melbourne Racing Club Lightning Handicap.

Coming into the race off back-to-back victories, Eight Schillings and jockey Sam Spratt were too strong for the field as they led all the way down the long Trentham straight, heading a New Zealand Bloodstock trifecta by half-a-length with Keep The Conflict (Keeper) and Galaxy Star (Falkirk) filling the minor placings.

Eight Schillings is the 55th stakes winner for champion sire O'Reilly who is having a big season courtesy of his immensely talented Group 1 New Zealand Derby winning daughter Silent Achiever.

Bred by Edwin & Lynis Aroa, Eight Schillings was purchased by David Archer from Brighthill Farm at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2009 Karaka Premier Sale for $90,000. He has now won seven of his 18 starts for just shy of $140,000 in stakes.

Owners David, Natalie and Simon Archer and Diane Wright are having a highly successful season on the turf as they also race the sprinting sensation (King) Mufhasa.

Trainer Chris Wood took out the other stakes race of the Trentham meeting - the $50,000 Listed Dixon & Dunlop NZ St Leger (2500m) - with the staying four-year-old Guns At Five (Duelled x Accidentallyinlove).

Carrying the heavy weight of 59.5 kilograms, the weight failed to slow down Guns At Five as the four-year-old flew in the final 200 metres of the race with jockey Damian Browne aboard to claim race leader and fellow Karaka graduate Chaparrone (High Chaparral) just short of the post to win by half-a-length.

Guns at Five is the second stakes winner for his sire Duelled who sired last season's Group 1 Queensland Derby winner Shootoff. Standing at Dormello Stud, Duelled sired third placed Endor in the St Leger who is also Group 3 placed.

Bred by C R & G J Dando, Guns at Five was offered by Bradbury Park at New Zealand Bloodstock's National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale and was purchased by Margaret Harkema for $12,000. Raced by Ken Bee Sports (Aust) Pty Ltd, Guns at Five's five wins have earned his connections over $65,000 in stakes.