Sarah O’Reilly trains first winner

Three times New Zealand Junior Driver Premiership winner Sarah O’Reilly took her first successful step into the training ranks today at Nelson when she trained and drove  Bizza To’o (Muscle Mass) to win.

“It was pretty cool because you put a lot of work into horses. I’ve had a few and it hasn’t worked out for whatever reason, so it was nice to get a training winner,” Sarah said.

O’Reilly, who now drives in the senior ranks, settled the four year old three back on the inside running line with favourite Ridge making the play. Before the straight Ridge was starting to come back to the field and O’Reilly took the inside option with Zhutee running into the race wide out.

Bizza To’o hit the front halfway down the straight, but then had to withstand a late run from Zhutee. At the line Bizza To’o was half a neck in front of Zhutee with the favourite Ridge, four lengths back in third.

BIZZA TO’O REPLAY

“Coming up the straight was the best he’s trotted this time in, which was pleasing. He was digging in for the fight which was a good feeling but I wasn’t sure whether the Tomlinson one was going to zip past or not.”

The gelding is raced by Sarah, Kayla Marshall and Vinny Neumann.

“I got offered him by Vinny Neumann. He’d been at the Dunns, but was probably going to take a bit of time.”

Bizza To’o is out of the Love You mare Loveyoutodoit which is the full-sister to nine win trotter Outofmyway.

The family which goes back to Princess Way, has left a host of winners who were successfully raced by the late Maurice Skinner and his family and the late Peter Williams.

“The more he got worked and the longer the preparation the better his gait got. He was a wee bit pacey and got a bit rough in behind.”

Sarah continues the great O’Reilly training legacy. Her father Gerard has trained 209 winners while her uncles Patrick (482), Leo (195) and Kerry (25) have all been successful.

Her grandfather Pat O’Reilly trained 339 winners while Hubert Christey her grandfather on her mother’s side, trained 28 winners.

“They’ve all been good horsemen so it was nice to carry that on. It was nice to get a win in my Grandad’s colours on my Mum’s side.”

The Christey colours were successfully worn by Bomber Bill and Master Bomber, who  won ten races each.

Sarah says she doesn’t have the time to expand her team as she works full time for Brent and Tim White.

“I work him (Bizza To’o) before I go to work in the morning and it works out quite well, but I can only have a couple.”

It was a good day for O’Reilly. Later in the programme she reined home Bizza To’o’s half brother Moses (Father Patrick) to win for her father Gerard. The gelding beat Nellie Doyle by a neck.

In the main pace of the day It’s Tough (Bettor’s Delight) beat Hadron Collider and Vessem. Trainer by Robert and Jenna Dunn the win was It’s Tough’s third in a row and eleventh in a twenty six start career.

His time for the mile was 1-51.5.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink