Scooter O'Reilly
Kenton Wright (Race Images)
An impressive trial performance at Avondale last month had punters believing the well credentialed Scooter O'Reilly was finally ready to leave maiden ranks and he didn't disappoint with a comprehensive display at Te Rapa on the weekend.
Having his first run from Moira Murdoch's beach based operation the rising four-year-old delivered in fine style in the hands of Cameron Lammas as a determined bid in the closing stages of the Print House sponsored 1200 metre contest propelled him to a comfortable victory.
The son of O'Reilly had been disappointing in his spring campaign after finishing a creditable fifth first up in the Gr. 3 Bonecrusher Stakes at Ellerslie in September, however Murdoch believes he has the potential to develop further as his racing manners improve.
"He came to me off a decent break over the summer and we have just taken him along slowly to this point," she noted.
"He can be a little frustrating as he reefs and tears in his races but I think if we can get him to settle then he has the ability to go further through the grades.
"We thought he was pretty close to the mark after his trial at Avondale so we planned to run him there a fortnight ago but the weather was terrible so we decided to wait for the better track at Te Rapa and that has paid dividends."
Murdoch will now play a patient game with the gelding as she plots a course to the Hawkes Bay spring carnival.
"He's not the sort of horse that will handle a real winter bog so we will just take him along slowly and start to get a little more serious in the early spring," she said.
"There are some nice races in the intermediate grades during the Hawkes Bay carnival so that's where we would like to head with him."
Murdoch also reported stable star Marky Mark was making good progress after returning to stable life a fortnight ago.
"He's been back a couple of weeks and is pretty big and burly but he does look a picture of health," she said.
"We haven't really had any thoughts of where we will kick him off this time in but it's unlikely he will be there for the first day at Hawkes Bay although he will most likely run during that carnival on one of the later days." - NZ Racing Desk
Having his first run from Moira Murdoch's beach based operation the rising four-year-old delivered in fine style in the hands of Cameron Lammas as a determined bid in the closing stages of the Print House sponsored 1200 metre contest propelled him to a comfortable victory.
The son of O'Reilly had been disappointing in his spring campaign after finishing a creditable fifth first up in the Gr. 3 Bonecrusher Stakes at Ellerslie in September, however Murdoch believes he has the potential to develop further as his racing manners improve.
"He came to me off a decent break over the summer and we have just taken him along slowly to this point," she noted.
"He can be a little frustrating as he reefs and tears in his races but I think if we can get him to settle then he has the ability to go further through the grades.
"We thought he was pretty close to the mark after his trial at Avondale so we planned to run him there a fortnight ago but the weather was terrible so we decided to wait for the better track at Te Rapa and that has paid dividends."
Murdoch will now play a patient game with the gelding as she plots a course to the Hawkes Bay spring carnival.
"He's not the sort of horse that will handle a real winter bog so we will just take him along slowly and start to get a little more serious in the early spring," she said.
"There are some nice races in the intermediate grades during the Hawkes Bay carnival so that's where we would like to head with him."
Murdoch also reported stable star Marky Mark was making good progress after returning to stable life a fortnight ago.
"He's been back a couple of weeks and is pretty big and burly but he does look a picture of health," she said.
"We haven't really had any thoughts of where we will kick him off this time in but it's unlikely he will be there for the first day at Hawkes Bay although he will most likely run during that carnival on one of the later days." - NZ Racing Desk