Sarah salutes again

After sixteen months away from the racetrack, mid-Canterbury reinswoman Sarah O’Reilly was back winning and saluting the judge at Oamaru today.

O’Reilly had a training accident at the Ashburton track in July of last year, breaking the humerus bone in her arm. It required surgery, but a subsequent CT scan revealed she would need a plate in her arm to allow it to completely heal. That healing has taken time.

In today’s race O’Reilly slotted the Brent and Tim White trained Molly Maeve Estelle (Art Major) behind pacemaker Star From Heaven and when the passing lane presented, O’Reilly brought her filly up the inside to win by a length and a quarter from Top Draw.

MOLLY MAEVE ESTELLE REPLAY

“She was on the bit the whole way especially round the last bend and I thought I had a pretty good chance. I didn’t have to pull the plugs and she did it easy,” O’Reilly said.

The last time Sarah saluted the judge was at Addington on the 12^th of July last year.

“It was a bit weird. I hadn’t done it for a while. It was pleasing to be able to do it again.”

Molly Maeve Estelle is out of the nine win mare Twilight Rascal, making her a half-sister to Beach Ball, the winner of eleven.

O’Reilly said the first driver to congratulate her was Jonny Cox and there have been texts from others as well.

“There’s been quite a few, which is nice.”

O’Reilly knows she’s going to have to work hard to build up her race day drives again after being away from the races for so long.

Yesterday she drove Forever Miki, a two year old in the White’s stable, at the Methven Workouts.

“Everyone quite likes him. He’s got a nice big stride on him and looks like he could be a really nice horse.”

Forever Miki is by Always B Miki out of Strawberry Fields and is a half brother to Bungalow Bill (31), Inner Light (14) and Taxman (5).

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink