Scusa a bright spring prospect

3 June 2014

A lucrative spring has been tipped for the well-related juvenile Scusa after he opened his account at Ellerslie on Queen’s Birthday Monday. A brave fourth in the Listed Great Northern Foal Stakes at his previous appearance, he finished strongly for his first career success under leading apprentice Rory Hutchings.

“He took a little while to get into his rhythm and we were a couple of spots further back than I would have liked,” he said.

“His experience definitely helped him and I was able to work into the race and then peel of their backs.”

Co-trainer Graeme Rogerson purchased Scusa for $34,000 out of WS’s Select Sale draft at Karaka last year.

“He’s just got better and better and I think he’s a Guineas horse,” Rogerson said. “We’ll see whether he goes again or we turn him out.”

By No Excuse Needed, he is a brother to the Gr.3 CS Hayes Stakes winner Take The Rap from the family of the champion stallion O’Reilly

The Corner with Garry Chittick

Well, I got a bit behind last week, with Friday slipping by without realising it; hence no Corner. I have said on too many occasions that negative messages are of no help to anyone, and yet there seems so often a reason to be concerned. Clearly, this week the well-constructed Guerin Report on the threatened downgrade of our Group 1 races demands our attention.

21 October 2026

Vale Ohope Wins, Ocean Park’s tough, kind and courageous daughter

Long before her Oaks double, Ohope Wins’ greatest victory belonged to the Waikato Stud staff and Matamata Veterinary Services vets who saved her as a desperately sick foal. Taken far too soon at Caulfield, her remarkable story is theirs too.