Aldebaran Star Lands 4th Win

23 April 2012

WS graduate Aldebaran Star posted another winning notch on his belt at Hastings on Saturday with the fourth win of his career. The son of No Excuse Needed and the O’Reilly mare Hyades is a half-brother to the Listed winner Tootsie (Pins).

The strapping four-year-old was ridden by Jonathan Riddell for his partner Trina Marshall, who trains the gelding at Awapuni.

“He’s a horse who needs a strong rider and he fought on really well,” she said. “The jar out of the ground helps him and he’ll probably have a couple more starts before he goes out for a spell.”

Pure Alpha delivers again as Ardrossan continues to rise

Ardrossan gelding Pure Alpha led throughout to win by 1.29 lengths at Eagle Farm for owner Ozzie Kheir, taking his earnings past $300,000. The result caps a stellar run for sire Ardrossan, whose yearlings fetched up to $450,000 this year on strong Hong Kong form.

28 August 2026

The Corner with Garry Chittick

It is difficult to maintain momentum when sitting in judgment of racing’s governance. After all, I get no pleasure in searching for non-credible decisions, but one is perpetually bewildered by the rationale behind many of the positions that make little sense.