Golden Day For Jockey On WS-Bred Sprinter

Justanexcuse will be regular jockey Darryl Bradley’s golden boy for a long time to come after they proved a winning combination at Riccarton. Revelling in the heavy conditions, the WS-bred and sold sprinter was too good for his open class rivals.

The event carried a purse of $40,000 but more importantly for Bradley the winning rider’s reward was an $11,000 gold bar. “That’s a nice big hunk I believe,” he said. “The horse had improved from the second day but I was a bit worried halfway up the straight and then he pounced and put paid to them.”

Justanexcuse was recording the eighth victory of his 34 starts career and, surprisingly, his first at 1400 metres although 12 previous attempt has yielded seven placings.”I just told Darryl to sit back and get him relaxed and he had enough gas,” Awapuni trainer Lisa Latta said.

A five-year-old son of No Excuse Needed, Justanexcuse was a $105,000 purchase by Taupo agent Paul Beamish out of WS’s 2008 Premier Sale line-up at Karaka. Raced by Lincoln Farms, the gelding is out of a sister to Listed Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes winners Call Spades and Tough Call and a half-sister to Gr 3 Lowland Stakes winner Gentle Call.