Colt needs no excuses

9 September 2013

A son of WS resident No Excuse Needed has made an impressive start to his career in Singapore. Room For Excuse denied the favourite Straightothepoint (Pins) at Kranji last night to win at the first time of asking.

“I like this horse very much. He’s been very steady in his trackwork and has done everything we’ve asked of him,” trainer Hideyuki Takaoka. “He’s been in work for a long time and even though he is a colt, he is well-behaved, is well-educated and very professional.”

Room For Excuse had hinted at what was to come on raceday with a sound barrier trial in his lead-up. “His trial was also very good, but I was not sure whether he would be comfortable on the 1200m, more so when it was the Short Course,” Takaoka said. “I was even more worried when the horse threw his head up at the start and was dropped to the rear. I was not sure what Alan (Munro) was doing as I told him he has to be second or third in the running, but he let down very well in the end. The favourite looked home but he’s done a good job to catch him right on the line.”

Room For Excuse is a son of the former quality racemare Ombre Rose. The O’Reilly mare won seven races, including three at Listed level and was Group One placed on two occasions.

Oilman’s stud stake could change course of NZ breeding

Eighteen months ago, Texas oilman Nelson Bunker Hunt walked through the lush Waikato pasture of Matamata’s Balcarres Stud and announced he wanted some just like it for his own.

Today he has-360 acres about a mile down the road which has been transformed from a dairy farm to one of New Zealand’s leading horse and cattle breeding establishments.

9 July 2026

WS graduate Honour Roll out to add stakes success at Otaki

Waikato Stud will be cheering on one of its promising graduates on Friday when Honour Roll contests the Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Otaki. The WS-bred son of the late Champion sire …