I Do Back In Style

Buoyed by Shez Sinsational’s Gr.1 Spring Classic success, Allan Sharrock’s confidence again was on the mark at Hawera today. The New Plymouth trainer had expected I Do to return to racing on a winning note and the No Excuse Needed mare did just that.

Bred and raced by Sharrock and WS, the five-year-old had won three of her previous 13 starts and was turned out after placing on her home track in the autumn. She resumed over 1200 metres this afternoon and showed a sharp turn of foot in the straight to score by three and a-half lengths.

“I rang Mark (Chittick) yesterday and said I thought she would win,” Sharrock said. “She’s very good and will end up a 2000 metres mare. She’ll run next in the stakes race on the middle day at Riccarton.” The race I Do has been set for is the Listed Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes.

She is out of the winning O’Reilly mare Freequence, who is a daughter of the Gr 3 New Zealand St Leger winner Frequent. It is also the family of the Gr.1 Queensland Derby and Gr.3 Trentham Stakes winner, Court Ruler.