No Excuses Needed Plays Starring Role

8 October 2012

No Excuse Needed made his present felt on premier day at Hastings when his strapping son Aldebaran Star ran the lower grade sprinters into the ground. The WS graduate was too slick for his Rating 85 opposition to post the fifth win of his career.

Trained by her part-owner Trina Riddell at Awapuni, the chestnut was ridden by her husband Jonathan. “He’s a horse that gets up on speed and keeps rolling,” he said. “He was humming at the 600 so I was happy to put the pressure on and they couldn’t catch me.”

A half-brother to the stakes winner Tootsie (Pins), Aldebaran Star was too slick for the former Hong Kong galloper Super Boy and No Excuse Needed also produced the third placegetter Taurus. He is from the family of the Gr 1 winners Guiseppina (Telegraph Handicap) and The Pooka (NZ 2000 Guineas).

The Word Is Out – Banquo Has His First Winner!

Improving from his debut second, the Kris Shailer trained Justin Case headed to his home track of Matamata on Friday to break his maiden in impressive fashion, becoming the first winner for his sire. Controlling …

23 January 2026

The Corner with Garry Chittick

Well, here we go again, this is the fifty-first consecutive sale Mary and I have been a vendor. My first auspicious entry was not at the Trentham Premier Sale, no, it was a couple at Waikato. They were underdone; the Indian Order, I think, sold for $1200, the Holy Smoke went up in smoke. A complete lunatic, it was suggested we remove him from the grounds and return when close to sale in the hope we could secretly drop him on some unsuspecting enthusiast.