No excuse needed for Good Excuse

CLAYTON YAXLEY TRUST

IMPRESSIVE WIN: Good Excuse (Jillian Morris) wins by three lengths at Gore yesterday.

Good Excuse, bought for $500 at the Karaka weanling sales, won easily in the Regional Ford Juvenile at Gore yesterday.

She has proved to be a bargain buy for North Canterbury owner-trainers Michael and Tarsha Stokes, of Waikuku. The couple share the ownership with their stable foreman Nic Stanley.

Michael Stokes said the filly, by No Excuse Needed from Volksraad mare Westraad, caught his attention at the sale.

''She wasn't very big and had a long coat,'' he said.

''She looked like a little teddy bear.''

Amberley trainer Danny Frye broke Good Excuse in. She won a trial at Motukarara on December 1 and had her first totalizator start at Riccarton on December 18. Good Excuse finished second, but might have won if she had not raced greenly.

Stablemate Issues finished second to Chaparella in the $45,000 Gore Guineas on Saturday.

Powder Creek's runaway win in the Osborne Contracting Maiden was timely for the Anderton family.

Wingatui co-trainer Brian Anderton and wife Lorraine own Powder Creek, whose half-brother, a colt by Gallant Guru, is entered for the Select Sale at Karaka next week.

Their dam, Stage Flash, also produced recently-retired sprinter Cherry Creek (eight wins and $97,800). Cherry Creek won the 2007 Canterbury Belle Stakes at Riccarton.

The Anderton family's White Robe Lodge stud will next season stand Raise The Flag, a son of Sadler's Wells from champion broodmare Hasili, dam of five individual group one winners. Raise The Flag is in quarantine in England and is due to arrive at White Robe late next month.

Shane Anderton, who trains in partnership with father Brian, said Powder Creek might be nominated for the Dunedin Guineas at Wingatui on February 6.

The Riverton Cup on April 3 is a likely target for Dreamzeel after the four-year-old stayer won the Malloch McLean Gore Handicap.

Her Invercargill trainers Ben and Sally Gordon are starting Relampago in tomorrow's $250,000 Wellington Cup. Relampago has been in Christchurch this week and will travel to Trentham today.

Schooling at Riccarton had been part of Relampago's training, Ben Gordon said.

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Jay Misbah rode four winners in a day for the first time at Gore yesterday.

The Wingatui apprentice was successful on Turn The Page, Powder Creek,Twizel Magic and Senor De Guerrero.

''Gore's a lucky track for me, I've ridden quite a few winners here,'' Misbah said.

He is employed by trainers Brian and Shane Anderton and will finish his apprenticeship on March 1. His plans for the future are to continue working for the Andertons.

The father and son trainers also bagged four wins yesterday _ Turn The Page, Powder Creek, Twizel Magic and La Gem. The horsemen started 13 horses at Gore.

Turn The Page is being set for the $45,000 Dunedin Cup on February 6.

- © Fairfax NZ News