No Excuse Maggie and Amberio Snatch NZ Features

Tough mares No Excuse Maggie and Amberio completed an outstanding weekend for Karaka on both sides of the Tasman when claiming the feature stakes races at Hawera and Matamata.

The pair also capped off a successful weekend for New Zealand Bloodstock’s Weanling Session - part of the annual National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale - with both mares, plus the Group 1 Toorak Handicap winner Solzhenitsyn, purchased from its ranks.

Racing at Hawera saw the running of the $80,000 Group 3 Windsor Park Stud Taranaki Breeders Stakes (1400m) and in what was a very wide open race, the John Bary trained No Excuse Maggie (No Excuse Needed x Maggie O'Reilly)took the Group 3 honours.

It was almost exactly a year ago that the six-year-old mare won the Listed Matamata Cup and Saturday’s race saw a tough performance from the grey, settling last and ten lengths off the pace at the 600 metre mark, to power home in the straight and race to a commanding two-and-three-quarter length win.

It was a big turnaround in form from the six-year-old as she had a tough run when finishing unplaced in the Group 3 Merial Ancare Metric Milein mid-September. It was also a good ride from jockey David Walsh who read the race well and kept the mare back and out of trouble, allowing her to finish over the top of her rivals.

A bargain purchase, No Excuse Maggie was bought by Ms KE & HG Jones for just $2,500 at the 2007 Karaka Weanling Sale. Bred and sold by Waikato Stud, the mare is raced by the Full of Excuses Syndicate and has won six of her 25 starts for almost $170,000.

Further north, the $50,000 Listed Team Wealleans Matamata Cup (1600m) saw race favourite Amberio (Captain Rio x Ambiance) produce a game performance to take her first stakes victory for trainer Karen Zimmerman.

The mare was ridden back in the field by jockey Michael Coleman and had to work, having to come wide on the turn after racing wide in transit, but was resolute in the straight and denied rival Atom Cat (Traditionally) in a close finish to win by a head.

The five-year-old mare has been racing in top form and came into the race after running second to Dubai Belle (E Dubai) in the Group 3 Metric Mile at her last appearance. Her last eight starts have seen her win on three occasions and placed in a further four.

The Richard Craddock bred Amberio is raced by G Arber, N Buckman, Mrs K & M Courtney, D Martin, D & Mrs M McEwen & Nowucia Racing Syndicate and has won almost $80,000 in stakes.

Amberio was purchased by Michael Otto Bloodstock from Brighthill Farm at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2008 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale for just $6,000.

She was later purchased by her trainer Karen Zimmerman from Soliloquy Lodge at the 2009 Karaka Festival Sale for $6,500.