By Isaac Murphy
Yamanto trainer Peter O’Reilly is a quietly spoken man, but there’s nothing quiet about the form his kennel is in at the moment fresh off four winners at Bundaberg on Monday, to go with a third placing in The Group Three Vince Curry and a new track record his dogs are doing the talking for him.
Well respected at the Ipswich Club for his training prowess and character O’Reilly currently sits on the committee and recently had the thrill of seeing his young pup Flying Jet almost go all the way in the Vince Curry.
“I had an opinion of him going into the series but being around the Vince Curry for so long you know how tough it is to win and his box draws of seven in the heat, six in the semi and six again in the final did him no favours, to finish third was a big result,” he said.
“The final was a real standout he was back near enough last in the early stages and up until then we’d only see him race on the speed, he ran past some very handy dogs.”
“He’s owned by my daughters syndicate which also includes Barry Kitchener, Mick Emery, Andrew Monaghan and a few other members of the family, it was great to get an early result for them.”
O’Reilly has big plans for the Fernando Bale/Aeroplane Cindy pup who doesn’t turn two until May, his first task to break his novice at Albion Park this Thursday night.
“I trialled him at Albion Park about six weeks ago and he went well without breaking the clock, but with three hard runs under his belt I’m expecting him to be hard to beat in Thursday’s Novice,” O’Reilly said.
“His trump card are his box manners he can really spring the lids and run a straight line, coming up with a better draw in the three this week I’d like to see him get to the rail and show what he can do.”
O’Reilly has already had a close look at the calendar and has locked Flying Jet in for a couple of suitable races at his home track.
“We’ve got a good program set up for him in the next couple of months, we’d love to knock his Novice off this week and head to the Ipswich Young Guns in a fortnight’s time,” he said.
“He’s an auction dog himself so we’ll make sure he’s engaged in the 520-metre series for some serious money in April, he’s already paid up so we’re all waiting for that one.”
“I think he can be right in the mix in any age races coming up, he’s got a good head on his shoulders for a young dog he knows how to run a race already, easy to deal with at home in the kennels he’s going places.”
The kennel is in great form from top to bottom, but O’Reilly said he couldn’t go past Shakey Diesel as his number one performer, recently breaking the $100,000 prize money mark O’Reilly has a separate map for the booming three-year-old.
“Shakey Diesel is with the same T Bar ownership team and has given us plenty to cheer about since coming back from a spell late last year, he won first up over the shorts at Ipswich and we got him back to the 520 at Albion Park on a Thursday night where he came out and brained them by seven lengths and won again from the eight the following week,” O’Reilly said.
“Before I took him up to Bundy I gave him a post to post at Ipswich and he went 24.60, so I had a fair idea he was going to come out and run time, but to set a new track record (25.94) wasn’t in our thinking.”
“With not much on for him in Brisbane or Bundy we thought we’d take him and kennel mate Blue Jillem down to Maitland where they’ll run next Thursday night and if everything goes well onto the Cup Heats the following week.”
O’Reilly has been a trainer never afraid to travel jumping in the car to Bundy, Rocky and even Townsville if he sees the right race for a dog, but it’s the revamped Bundaberg Club he says is really flourishing.
“Ten years ago there weren’t many South East Queensland trainers who’d make the journey up, but you’re seeing more and more good dogs up there every Monday and with $25,000 put up for the Cup this year I think you’ll see a city class field,” he said.
The trainer has been around the sport long enough to know his purple patch won’t last for ever but does everything he can to maintain a balanced kennel.
“I’ve got ten in work at the moment I’ve always kept it around that number it gives me time to focus on the individuals and travel when we need to,” he said.
“I’m having a pretty good run of it lately they’re all getting to the track and doing their thing; you have your ups and downs, so you try to enjoy the wins.”