Gerard O'Reilly trained and drove Master Bomber to win the Ordeal Cup, the feature race for trotters at Addington last night, when the 7yr-old was having his first race for nine months.
Master Bomber outfinished Leighton Hest by half a head with a head to Roydon Flash.
Master Bomber ran the 2600m (mobile) in 3.15.5. 0.8sec outside the race record set by Springbank Richard last year.
O'Reilly took over the training of Master Bomber from owner Hubert Christey in April. Master Bomber was sidelined soon after with a leg problem.
O'Reilly has driven Master Bomber in his 33 starts for eight wins.
He is the third O'Reilly brother to win an Ordeal Cup. Patrick O'Reilly won the race in 1981 and 1982 with Sir Castleton. Kerry O'Reilly drove Basil Dean, the 1984 winner and Strietross, who won in 1996.
• Stunin Cullen was guaranteed a start in the $750,000 New Zealand Cup on November 9 with a brilliant all-the-way win the New Brighton Cup last night.
Stunin Cullen ran the 2600m in 3.13.9, a 2.00 mile rate.
Stunin Cullen, owned by Terry McDonald, of Christchurch and Eddie Griffin, of Dunedin, ran the last mile in 1.55.8, the 800m in 54.9. and 400 in 26.5. He won by two and a-half lengths from Monkey King, who did well after a tardy beginning cost him several lengths.
It was the third win in the race for driver Anthony Butt, who was successful with Harnetts Creek (2005) and Premiership (1985).
Tim Butt, the trainer of Stunin Cullen, won the New Brighton Cup with Tribute in 2006 when in partnership with Phil Anderson.
Iraklis won the New Brighton Cup-New Zealand Cup double in 1997.
