No Excuse Needed was credited with an international
double overnight with an English success to partner
a victory on home soil. Haydock and Wingatui might be
world's apart but the influence of WS's son of Machiavellian
bridged the international gap for a notable dual Hemisphere
strike.
The Irish-bred Spirit Is Needed made a bright start
to his career for top European trainer Mark Johnston
with a win and a placing from an initial three-start
preparation last year. He resumed after an eight-month
break yesterday at Haydock where he made all the running
over 2400 metres for a convincing victory. He is out
of an unraced In The Wings mare who is a half-sister
to Yavana's Pace, a Gr 1 winner in Germany and at Gr
2 and 3 level in France and England.
At Wingatui, the three-year-old Cool Alibi was successful
in her first South Island appearance for trainer Steve
Anderton when breaking her maiden over 1200 metres.
She had weighed in three times from seven starts in
the Central Districts and is from the family of Gr 1
AJC Derby winner Innocent King.
Fellow WS stallions Pins and Savabeel also made their
mark at the meeting with the former's daughter Klassicpins
collecting her fourth career victory. The WS-bred and
sold Savanur opened his account with a runaway success
over 1600 metres after a number of lead-up placings.
He is a half-brother to dual Gr 2 winner Sarajay (Travis
Stakes, Gasmate Stakes).
