Pencarrow Racing’s four-year-old mare Queen of Excuses (No Excuse Needed x Kailey Princess) broke through for her maiden success in the $7,000 Waimea Nurseries Maiden Sprint (1200m) at Hastings yesterday.

Trained by Pencarrow’s resident trainers Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie, the daughter of No Excuse Needed carried solid form into yesterday’s race having run three placings in seven starts and was caught late last start when fifth at Taranaki.

Ridden by Samantha Collet the pair bounced to an early lead in the five-horse field, and were challenged midway through the race when Sandspex (Sandtrap) took over the lead on the outside.

As the field entered the home straight, Queen of Excuses wrestled the lead back and kicked away from the field to land victory by 1.8 lengths in a time of 1.11.70 for the 1200m on a Dead4 track.

"She put them away really nicely in the end,” commented Ramsay. “She ran a really good time for Hastings as well on a Dead track - open class horses struggle to go under 1.10 at Hastings on Good tracks.

“She got headed during the race but when she got to the front in the straight she was able to sprint really nicely and put a couple of lengths on them.

“It is nice to get a win with her and I would like to think there is another win or two in her.”

The mare’s maiden victory came at start number eight for owner Sir Peter Vela who bred the four-year-old in conjunction with Philip Vela.

Queen of Excuses is out of Kailey Princess (Danehill) and is a half-sister stakes performers Prosperous Bid (Carnegie) and Canny Princess (Canny Lad) and is also a half-sister to the dam of Group 1 winner Herculian Prince (Yaminan Vital).

Queen of Excuses was the last foal produced by Kailey Princess.

Ramsay and Ritchie took three horses to Hasting with North of Sunset (Red Ransom x Zygadene) finishing second in a Rating 75 2000m. Hoofsain Bolt (Casino Prince x Huluava) was desperately unlucky in the maiden 1400m event after missing the start and running into trouble when attempting to come through the field in the straight, to finish in fifth place.