The vastly-improved Scooter O'Reilly turned in a quality performance many had suspected he was capable of in the $10,000 Print House 1200 at Te Rapa on Saturday.

The son of O'Reilly had encouraging performances last season as a juvenile, then finished fifth first up in the Group 3 Bonecrusher Stakes at Ellerslie in September, but had been disappointing since - at the end of last year.

The three-year-old was sent to trainer Moira Murdoch for a change of scenery and some beach training, and resumed with a fine second in a trail last month, and the tidy trial didn't go un-noticed by punters, sending the gelding to near favourite.

Jumping from barrier 12 with Cameron Lammas aboard, the pair raced midfield although three-wide throughout. Entering the straight Lammas pulled to the outside of the track to hit the front with less than 150m to travel and hold on to win by half-a-length. Mossomak (L.Allpress) stuck on for second, with Arcturus (M.Cameron) finishing well down the outer, a short neck back in third place.

"He came to me off a decent break and we've taken him along slowly. He can be a little frustrating as he reefs and tears in his races but he has the ability to go further through the grades, if we can get him to settle," Murdoch said.

A noticeable gear change was ear covers were added for the first time on Saturday.

B & J Lindsay purchased Scooter O'Reilly from Westbury Stud's draft at the 2014 Karaka Premier Sale for $60,000, and they race the gelding with S & S Finnie.