Justanexcuse Crunches Gr 3 Rivals

18 December 2011

Justanexcuse took the rise to weight-for-age company in his loping stride with an effortless victory in Saturday’s Gr 3 Challenge Stakes at Awapuni. The WS-bred and sold son of resident sire No Excuse Needed blitzed his rivals in the feature with a career-best performance that earned him the ninth win of his career.

The gelding, who had won an open sprint at Riccarton is his previous appearance, jogged to the front 250 metres from home to score with authority. “He’s been working great for the last fortnight and 1400 metres is his pet distance now,” trainer Lisa Latta said. “A lot of people think he’s just a wet tracker but he isn’t.”

Justanexcuse was ridden by regular partner Darryl Bradley who was rich in his praise for the five-year-old. “That was impressive and he was cantering beside them on the turn,” he said. “We got to the front way too soon but he was travelling so well it was amazing.”

Bred by the Matamata farm with Stephen Luey, he was purchased out of the 2008 Premier Sale at Karaka for $105,000 by Taupo agent Paul Beamish and is raced by Lincoln Farms. Justanexcuse out of a sister to Listed Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes winners Call Spades and Tough Call and a half-sister to Group Three Lowland Stakes winner Gentle Call.

Tivaci’s Movie Night steals the show at Newcastle

A sister to the Gr.1 ATC Flight Stakes (1600m) winner Never Been Kissed, the Waikato Stud-bred and raced Movie Night (NZ) was rewarded for her consistency, breaking her maiden with an all-the-way win over 1400m at Newcastle for trainer Tom Charlton.

9 July 2026

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.