New Zealand champion O’Reilly has sired the winners of 108 stakes races but one event continues to elude him on the home front.

The Waikato Stud stallion has come up empty in the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas at Riccarton.  His second-crop filly The Jewel was runner-up to Hustler in 2002 and Alamosa was next best behind The Pooka in 2007.

Cambridge trainer Tony Pike is hoping the drought will end this year with his unbeaten colt Sacred Falls who captured the Shaune Ritchie Racing Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa on Saturday.

Sacred Falls (NZ) had won on debut at Ruakaka last month.  “He has always been a nice horse,” Pike offered.  “He will go out and have three or four weeks in the paddock before coming back for the spring.

“He’s got a lovely low action and an explosive turn of foot so the better tracks will suit him.  If he can pick up the Hawkes Bay Guineas or the 2000 Guineas, he will have some value at stud.”

Sacred Falls (3c O’Reilly – Iguazu’s Girl by Redoute’s Choice) is raced by Raffles Farm owner Dato Yap Kim San who also raced O’Reilly’s G1 Australian Derby winner Shamrocker (NZ).