O'Reilly is King of Hong Kong

The wonderful run in Hong Kong of NZ-based sire, O'Reilly, continued last night at Happy Valley, with three races on the eight-race card falling to sons of Hong Kong's leading sire, and a further four going to Kiwi-breds.

Comfortably sitting atop the Hong Kong sires premiership, Waikato Stud's O'Reilly is extremely popular throughout Asia due to his progeny's outstanding success in the region with the likes of Unique Jewellery, Fellowship and Kildare in Hong Kong plus Arenti, Lim's Objective and Big Maverick in Singapore. That success was compounded yesterday with three of his progeny scoring at Happy Valley from 1200m - 1650m.

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�O'Reilly at Waikato Stud

The O'Reilly juggernaught's first victory came in the form of Me Tsui's four-year-old gelding Super Plus (O'Reilly x Precious Princess, by Precocious) in Race 3, the 1200m Hyacinth Handicap.

Positioned handy in third place throughout running by Derek Leung, Super Plus travelled generously before being asked to make up a length on the race leader Tout Va Bien in the straight. The bay powered past swiftly and in doing so was the only horse in the field to break 1.10 minutes for the 1200 trip.

It was Super Plus' third win for owner Lam Leung Hung, his last victory came in the hands of Leung once again, over the same course and distance on February 11. Purchased by J & I Bloodstock at the 2006 Karaka Select Sale for $86,000 from Seaton Park, Super Plus has now achieved over three times that value in prize money.

O'Reilly Magic (O'Reilly x Prodigal Lass, by Centaine) broke through for his maiden victory in Hong Kong in the very next event, The Rose Handicap over 1650m.

Trained by current leading trainer Caspar Fownes, the consistent galloper has placed in three of four starts this season.

Like Super Plus, O'Reilly Magic sat close to the pace in third with Zac Purton aboard, just a length off race leader Supreme Gold. Purton moved on his mount 400m from home and O'Reilly Magic shook off Able Dragon (Choisir), who had followed him closely throughout, to score by half a length.

Another Karaka graduate, O'Reilly Magic is a product of Mission Lodge's 2006 Ready to Run draft. He fetched $130,000 at sale and is now raced by Jack Chan Kam Wing.

Casper Fownes trained a double on the night to see his tally of wins in Hong Kong this season rise to 64, two ahead of his nearest rival John Moore, with a further two wins back to John Size.

His second victor was Whiplash (O'Reilly x Soliel Vite, by Desert Sun) who took out Race 6, The Freesia Handicap over 1650m. The sound six-year-old has now won in Hong Kong every season since winning two races in his debut season of 2005/06.

His dominant victory last night signalled that perhaps a repeat of his best season could be in store with a two and three quarter length win after pushing his way through the field for Matthew Chadwick.

Purchased by Michael Stedman for just $20,000 from Rich Hill Stud at the 2004 Karaka Select Sale, Whiplash has now earned HK$4,166,525 (approx. NZ$ 840,000) for his owners Vincent Sum Wing Sung and Yu Cheung Kit.

A further four victories went to New Zealand-bred gallopers on the night including Striking Mascot (Minardi), Always Something (Black Minnaloushe), Our Lucky Baby (Stravinsky), and the feature HK$1,150,000 Carnation Handicap (1650m) to Interchina Star (Postponed).

The next opportunity to invest in some New Zealand-bred success is New Zealand Bloodstock's�Winter Mixed Bloodstock Sale on August 2 and the unique South Island Sale on August 7 in Christchurch.

The South Island Sale will see 170 unbroken two-year-olds go under the hammer, featuring four progeny by O'Reilly including a highlight:

Lot 59 - Bay Colt - O'Reilly x Sienna (Volksraad) - Inglewood Stud

��������� The only colt by O'Reilly in the Sale, he is from dual winner Sienna, a half sister to four stakes winners including Group 2 AJC Frank Packer Plate winner Stargazer, and Group 2 STC Queen of the Turf winner Sorrento.

��������� This well grown colt is the second foal of Sienna and was born on 5 September 2007.

Catalogues for these Sales will be available online next week at http://www.nzb.co.nz/.