Double Delight At Waipukurau

26 March 2012

WS was represented by a running double at Waipukurau on Friday with Aldebaran Star and Tacticall presented at the top of their games. The former is a half-brother by No Excuse Needed to the stakes-winner Tootsie (Pins) and had been around the mark in four previous starts this year.

Originally a $14,000 weanling pruchase at Karaka in 2008, Aldebaran Star sat outside the leader to the turn and kicked too strongly for his rivals in the straight to post his third career victory. “He bounced out well and put himself on the speed and had a lot to give on the turn,” rider Joanthan Parkes said. Thwe four-year-old is trained at Awapuni by part-owner Trina Marshall.

Tacticall was bred by WS with Stephen Luey, who now races the three-year-old, and she opened her account at her fifth start with a clear-cut win over 1200 metres. By Scaredee Cat, Tacticall is trained by Lisa Latta who has also prepared her half-brother Justanexcuse (No Excuse Needed) to win nine races, including this season’s Gr 3 Challenge Stakes.

Ardrossan’s Group 1-placed darling wins A$300,000 Gr.2 HKJC World Pool Wakeful Stakes

Second and fourth in 1600m Group 1 races in her two previous starts since being purchased privately by OTI Racing and stepping out in Australia under Chris Waller’s racing banner, De Armas (Ardrossan) stepped up in distance at Flemington on Saturday and opened her Australian account in style in the A$300,000 Gr.2 HKJC World Pool Wakeful Stakes (2000m) on Derby Day.

30 October 2026

The Corner with Garry Chittick

The writing of my Corner started many years ago, motivated by an irritation that I felt needed scratching. It was never my intention to make my commentary regular; neither did I intend to reinvent the direction of racing administration. It is both disappointing and ironical that what should be a simple, straightforward business provides a regular need for comment.