Bonny O’Reilly (NZ) Continues Winning Streak

Exciting mare Bonny O’Reilly (NZ) (O’Reilly), who cost $100,000 at the 2014 Premier Sale, scored her seventh win in nine career starts and her fifth in a row when she picked up a first stakes win in yesterday’s A$100,000 Listed IPG Marketing Solutions Helen Coughlan Stakes at (1200m) Doomben.

Trained and ridden by expat New Zealanders Bjorn Baker and Jason Collett, the four-year-old mare raced close to the pace before taking a gap along the rail at the top of the straight. She quickly took control of the race and scored a comfortable victory by a length and a quarter.

Connections are now hoping to run Bonny O’Reilly in next week’s A$1.5 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1350m).

“We’re very hopeful she’ll get a penalty and get in,” stable foreman Jack Bruce said. “The way she put them away today with something up her sleeve. If she comes through in good order we'll be there.

“When she quickens it's something special to watch. Hopefully she can step up to the big time next week.

“She's improved so much this preparation that if she gets a run it's hard to pass up.”

This is the second Queensland winter carnival in a row in which Bjorn Baker has had big-race success with a Karaka graduate. Last year he won the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m) with Music Magnate (NZ) (Written Tycoon).

Bonny O’Reilly was bred by Waikato Stud and is closely related to numerous stakes performers including Crepe De Chine (NZ) (Pins), Glam Slam (NZ) (Pins), Glamour Puss (NZ) (Tale of the Cat) and Vision and Power (NZ) (Carnegie).

Offered at the 2014 Premier Sale by Waikato Stud, Bonny O’Reilly was bought by Bjorn Baker Racing and Michael Wallace Bloodstock for $100,000.

Bonny O’Reilly has now had nine starts for seven wins, one placing and prize-money of A$289,175.