No Excuses Needed For This Winner

1 September 2011

Hastings trainer John Bary has a lofty goal set for an exciting son of WS stallion No Excuse Needed. Commett won at the first time of asking at Waverley today and has a spring campaign aimed at a feature three-year-old classic ahead of him.

“I’ve got a high opinion of this horse and I’ve entered him in the 2000 Guineas – that’s how much I think of him,” Bary said.

“He’d had two jump-outs at home and won them both.” Commett is a half-brother to the winner Heredity and a grand-son of the Listed Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes winner and Gr 1 placed Half Cut.

Also sharing in Commett’s debut success was comeback jockey Jason Waddell who picked up the ride after Jonathan Riddell was sidelined earlier in the programme. “I feel sorry for Jonathan but I was in the right place at the right time,” Waddell said.

“He’s a lovely horse and relaxed well and came back on the bridle across the top and the race was pretty much won from there.”

The Corner with Garry Chittick

Well, it was finally our turn. Mary and I shared in the joy of winning a race; we were there, of course. We could have settled in, in front of the TV – not driven the 50 minutes each way, but the emotions are entirely different.

14 September 2025

Smart Love too smart this start

Smart Love (Savabeel ex Relentless Desire) made a winning return at Te Rapa on 14 September, storming home by 3.3 lengths. Racing in Garry Chittick’s colours, the four-year-old mare impressed for Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott after two solid trials.