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

The writing of my Corner started many years ago, motivated by an irritation that I felt needed scratching. It was never my intention to make my commentary regular; neither did I intend to reinvent the direction of racing administration. It is both disappointing and ironical that what should be a simple, straightforward business provides a regular need for comment.

27 October 2026

Ocean Park’s With Grace seals NZ Cup berth

South Auckland mare With Grace secured her berth in next month’s Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton when extending her winning sequence to four with victory in the Baker Tilly Staples Rodway 2100 at Te Rapa on Labour Day Monday.