Keyarna Blue (NZ) Continues O’Reilly’s Hot Run

In-form stallion O’Reilly sired his 13th stakes winner of the season on Saturday when Keyarna Blue (NZ) won her first race at stakes level at just her fourth start in the A$100,000 Listed Laelia Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville.  

The Pat Hyland trained Keyarna Blue (O’Reilly x Oh Blue Angel) was the second stakes winner at the Morphettville meeting for Karaka with Linton also successful in the Group 3 R.A. Lee Stakes.

O’Reilly has sired 13 stakes winners this season and 66 in total

A three-year-old filly, Keyarna Blue had two starts earlier in the season and broke maiden ranks at her last start fresh up at Kilmore by almost four lengths. Although Saturday’s winning margin was only a half-length, it was just as impressive as the filly raced last in the 12 horse field and came with a late rails run to take a soft win under kiwi jockey Michael Walker.

Keyarna Blue is O’Reilly’s 66th stakes winner and continues a wonderful season for the Waikato Stud sire. Thus far this season O’Reilly has sired the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap winner in Shamexpress, Group 1 Doncaster Mile winner in Sacred Falls plus group/stakes winners including Silent Achiever, Mosse, Thy, O’Fille, Annie Higgins and High Fashion.

Keyarna Blue was bred by Jackson Bloodstock, is raced by Mr R Anderson & Mrs D Anderson and has won two of her four starts for A$77,200. The three-year-old was purchased by Kieran Moore Bloodstock Pty Ltd from Little Avondale Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2011 Karaka Select Sale for $66,000.

The win also continued Little Avondale Stud’s success having bred Kekova who won the Listed Great Easter Stakes last weekend at Riccarton. Little Avondale also bred Xanadu who won the Group 1 Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes last month.