By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk
One of the country’s top drivers Sarah O’Reilly has been dealt some more bad news.
Out of action since a trackwork accident at Ashburton Raceway last July, the Mid Canterbury-based driver has been told this week that she requires an operation on her arm and will be months away from resuming race day driving.
“I got the result from the CT scan and it has not healed properly and they are going to put a plate into the arm,” O’Reilly says.
It had been hoped that the arm will ultimately mend itself and that she’d be back driving by the end of last year.
“There is still a gap in the fracture,” says O’Reilly, “the movement in the arm is ok it’s just when I will try and put weight on it.”
Now she’s awaiting a date for surgery at Christchurch Hospital.
“They say that it will take three months after that before it’s back to normal.”
It’s just the latest “pretty annoying” blow for the 24-year-old.
“I’m bored,” she admits.
In July 2024 O’Reilly broke the arm and suffered a broken cheekbone and jaw after a horse “jumped” into her cart.
At the time she had recorded 32 wins in her first year as an open driver after being a star in the junior ranks.
She won the junior drivers’ premiership in 2022 and 2023 and was the Junior Drivers Championship winner four times in five years between 2019 and 2023.
For someone used to chasing the drives, especially all around the South Island, it’s clearly been a frustrating time.
“I try to keep busy but really there’s not a lot to do.”
