No Excuses Needed At Awapuni

Specialist sprinter Justanexcuse bounced back from a luckless southern venture for an impressive home track victory at the weekend. The WS-bred and sold son of resident stallion No Excuse Needed posted his sixth career success from Lisa Latta’s Awapuni stable when he stylishly accounted for his Rating 90 opposition.

The four-year-old was a winner at Trentham in October to earn himself a trip to the New Zealand Cup carnival at Riccarton last month. His target was the Gr 3 Stewards’ Handicap in which he finished sixth after being blocked for room in the straight.

Justanexcuse also ran into trouble on Saturday when squeezed for room 200 metres off the post but he pushed into the clear to win well. “He got a bit of an interrupted run but the 1200 metres is right up his alley and the track suited him,” said John Street, who races the gelding under his Lincoln Farms banner. “He’s got a great finishing burst this horse and we were pretty confident.”

Purchased for $105,000 by agent Paul Beamish from WS’s 2008 Premier Sale draft, Justanexcuse is out of the Val Dansant mare Aggressive. He is half-brother to Listed Feilding Gold Cup winner On Call from the family of stakes winners Gentle Call (Gr 3 Lowland Stakes) and Call Spades and Tough Call (both Listed Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes winners).