O’Reilly is clinging to a slender lead in New Zealand’s Centaine Award, just $177,000 ahead of Zabeel with less than a fortnight remaining in the 2008-09 season.

Statistics supplied by Arion Pedigrees show O’Reilly ($12.78 million) heads Zabeel ($12.61 million) in the Centaine Award which recognises the stallion whose NZ-conceived progeny has won the most prizemoney worldwide.

The Waikato Stud based sire appeared to have the award in his keeping when Big Maverick was runner-up in the million-dollar G1 Singapore Derby on July 12.  But his arch-rival responded with four Australian winners last Saturday and Hume added the extras when runner-up in the Listed Grafton Cup.

O’Reilly (Last Tycoon) enjoyed a remarkable season in 2007-2008, landing the Dewar Award (Australasian earnings for NZ sire), Grosvenor Award (NZ Stallion Premiership) and Hong Kong Premiership (defeating Encosta de Lago).

In winning The Dewar Award, he ended 12 seasons of back-to-back domination by Zabeel.  In taking the domestic premiership, O’Reilly ended 6 seasons of consecutive titles achieved by Volksraad.

The Centaine Award commenced at the start of the current season and O’Reilly has had 14 individual black type winners around the globe this season.  Zabeel is second (11), High Chaparral and Pins share third with 10 stakes winners apiece, while Volksraad is next with 8.