Leading Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse has had so much success with tried New Zealand stayers, she has once again looked across the Tasman in her quest to find a Melbourne Cup winner.
Just Horse Racing brought you the story in January of Bone of Contention, who was purchased by Waterhouse with the Cups in mind.
He followed other former Kiwis, like Metropolitan winner Herculian Prince, Caulfield Cup winner Descarado and the promising Tullamore.
Click here to read more about Bone of Contention.
She revealed on her blog on Wednesday that their latest recruit, O’Reilly’s Prize, had arrived safe and sound at Tulloch Lodge.
“The most exciting new acquisition arrived at Tulloch Lodge today, a long lean, lanky son of O’Reilly – O’Reilly’s Prize,” she wrote.
“He is very much built like Tullamore who is racing consistently.”
Waterhouse said that he was yet to be sold.
“Anyone looking for a Melbourne Cup hopeful, here’s your chance,” she said.
O’Reilly’s Prize is a winner of three of his eight starts to date.
He was an eye catching fifth in the Group 2 Avondale Guineas (2100m), which saw him start second favourite for the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) behind star three year old Jimmy Choux.
However, he struggled in the extremely heavy going and finished sixth, ten lengths behind Jimmy Choux.
He will form part of Waterhouse’s strong spring arsenal on the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, which will include the likes of Descarado, Herculian Prince, Once Were Wild, Valdemoro, Tullamore, Bone of Contention, Older Than Time, Fast Clip and Needs Further.
Written by Andrew Hawkins
