O’Reilly family has had great run of success

Press, 9 February 1983, Page 31

O’Reilly family has had great run of success

By

G. K. YULE

The O'Reilly family, of Mid-Canterbury, have enjoyed a remarkably consistent run of success since the Metropolitan Trotting Club began its summer meeting at Addington Raceway on January 15. In a little more than three weeks Patrick O'Reilly, jun.. who prepares his team near Ashburton, has trained the winners of nine races, most of them being of a fairly minor nature, and his team has recorded five placings for $18,690 in stakes. His father, Patrick, sen., who has a big team in work at Highbank. has not had a great number of starters during the period, but he has produced the winners of five races and with three placings his starters have won $17,400.

Another son, Kerry, a freelance driver keenly sought in the Mid-Canterbury area, has driven nine winners and with four placings, his drives returning $29,065 in firsts, seconds and thirds.

Kerry has driven all of the winners produced during the period by his father, and he was successful behind Geena and Stirling Del at Forbury Park when Patrick, jun.. was driving his team at Nelson. Kerry has driven Norton to three wins recently, while he had double successes behind Glen Reynolds and Basil Dean. Norton and Basil Dean are two of the more exciting Canterbury contenders for honours at the richly-en-dowed Benson and Hedges Inter-Dominion Champion-

ship series at Alexandra Park next month.

Both have sped through the intermediate classes. Norton now being assessed on C 9, while Basil Dean is an open-class trotter. Norton's performances have been outstanding as he was off the scene for 12 months as a result of an injury and only resumed racing on January 1.

Basil Dean's seven wins since October include six at Addington and his latest efforts suggest that he will not be out of his depth against the best trotters in New Zealand and Australia, at Auckland.

Patrick jun., had seven driving successes during the last three weeks or so and he was also placed nine times. His only winners apart from horses trained by himself or his father were Colonel Whiskers at Forbury Park and Bonny Bret at Nelson. Patrick jun., produced Win a Bottle. Geena and Merci Cherie to win two races each, while Stirling Del, Speedy Prince and Ringing Time each notched a success. Two other sons of Patrick O'Reilly, sen., Leo and Gerard, had the occasional drive, with Leo being placed twice behind Never Ending and Truant Pete.

Patrick O'Reilly, sen., has Neutrino News. Bogart Direct, Noble Shan. Bret's Messenger, Scottish Sunset and Glen Reynolds listed among the fields for the Ashburton meeting, where Patrick jun., has Bottletop, Speedy Prince and Geena among the acceptors.