Barrier a worry for Guineas hope

16 January 2015

A wide gate is the only concern Bryce Newman has with Joby (No Excuse Needed) when the three-year-old kicks of his South Island campaign on Saturday.

The Bulls trainer wasn’t best pleased with the barrier, but he is happy with the horse’s condition going into the Listed Liquorland Gore Guineas.

“I’m not sure about the visitor’s draw they’ve given me,” the leading equestrian identity said. “He’s not Levin Classic material and there’s not much else around so we’ve decided to have a crack down there.”

Joby will be stabled at Timaru with Terrill Charles for the duration of his southern odyssey, which will also take in the Listed Dunedin Guineas and the Listed Southland Guineas.

“It’s a huge thanks to Terrill for looking after him and I’ll be flying backwards and forwards as well,” Newman said.

Originally bought as a yearling for $28,000 to trade on, Joby broke his maiden at Woodville three runs back with a defeat of Crackling Rosie.

“He won nicely and the horse he beat has won two since so there’s a bit of form around him,” Newman said.

Joby has subsequently run fourth at Otaki behind the handy mare Joanna and he filled a similar placing last time out behind the highly-regarded Stolen Dance at Awapuni.

“He didn’t go down by much and he was a bit of a sitting duck,” Newman said. “He’s a pretty honest horse.”

His confidence has also been boosted by the decision of his regular rider Buddy Lammas to continue his association with the No Excuse Needed gelding on Saturday.

“Buddy knows the horse and he’s been pretty loyal to me,” Newman said. – NZ Racing Desk.

Oaks Day glory for Waikato Stud-bred Sulek

Waikato Stud enjoyed a special moment on Oaks Day at Flemington on Thursday, when the New Zealand-bred gelding Sulek – by Super Seth out the O’Reilly mare Tiff And Co, saluted on one of the biggest days of the racing calendar and in front of an international crowd. Bred by the farm in partnership with the Dowager Duchess of Bedford, Sulek took out the A$500,000 Cirka Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Final (1600m) for the third and most lucrative win of his career.

5 November 2026

The Corner with Garry Chittick

And so, another Melbourne Cup has been run. Regretfully, Mary and I were not there. I have no idea how many we attended up until COVID, and I miss the Cup week. Victoria prides itself as the sporting capital of Australia; it may be, they certainly know how to create an event.