O’Reilly still some way off driving

Ashburton harness racing horsewoman Sarah O’Reilly has a bit longer to wait before she’s able to return to race day driving.

O’Reilly had a training accident at the Ashburton track in May last year, breaking the humerus bone in her arm.

“After a CT scan they said the break wasn’t healing properly and they want to put a plate in my arm now. It’s pretty disappointing,” she said.

O’Reilly says the surgeon hopes to perform the operation in the next four weeks.

“They said it could take three months from the surgery to fully recover. He said I could probably move it straight away. I’ve been going to the gym and working on what my physio gives me to do with my arm. I also go down to Dad’s stable and muck around.”

She says the horse she’s missing most is Sweet Betty (Sweet Lou) which she bought at the 2023 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales.

“I was meant to be training her but obviously Dad (Gerard) is doing all the work, so I’m missing driving her. She went to the workouts at Methven last week and is going again this week. I’m missing that but Dad’s doing a good job.”

Sweet Betty is out of Mermaid Explorer, an unraced Bettor’s Delight daughter of Corbie.

“She goes alright and will get better the more she goes around.”

When Sarah returns to race driving and gets into the cart to drive Sweet Betty she’ll be wearing her grandfather Hubert Christey’s colours.

Christey trained Master Bomber (Armbro Invasion) to win seven races before Gerard took over and won a further three. His major wins were in the New Zealand Trotting FFA, Methven Trotters Green Mile and the Ordeal Cup.

He also trained Little Jolter and De Valora who each won six and he bred and owned Bomber Bill which won ten races including an Ashburton Cup.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink