August 31st, 2008

Exceed And Excel's bonny filly Sugar Babe notched another stakes win on Saturday when she won the Group 3 H D F McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
 
Trained by Lee Freedman, Sugar Babe was having her classic season debut and did well to score, as she had to race wide for most of the way. Sugar Babe will now head to the Guineas Prelude in three weeks time and then hopefully on to the Group I Thousand Guineas (1600m) in mid-October.

A half-million dollar purchase, Sugar Babe was bred by Strawberry Hill Stud from Multiple Group-winning mare On Type (Zeditave).

The McNeil runner-up Whobegotyou is by Darley's high profile American stallion, Street Cry, the sire of freshman Street Sense, from a mare, Temple of Peace, who is by another Darley stallion, Carnegie. While the third placegetter Cardinal Virture was having his second career start in the group three stakes event turning in a fantastic effort. He had come off a six length maiden victory in South Australia. Cardinal Virtue is by Elusive Quality from the Snippets mare, Valourina. 

On the other side of the world in Ireland, Exceed And Excel took his European tally to seventeen individual winners when Paddy The Pro was victorious in the five-furlong (1000m) Maiden at Dundalk.

Bred by Eamon Molony Jr, he is out of the Kingmambo mare Vinicky and from the family of Champion sire, Lyphard.

Australia's champion freshman sire last season, Exceed And Excel has made a tremendous start with both of his first crops. In Europe he has so far produced four stakes horses including the Royal Ascot winner, Flashmans Papers and his most recent Group 2 winner, Infamous Angel. Exceed And Excel currently sits second in the European first-season sires table behind fellow Darley stallion, Kheleyf.

July 20th, 2008

  Former star Australian sprinter Exceed And Excel has sired his 10th European winner with the victory of Sirenuse at Ripon at the weekend.  Sirenuse is the first foal of winning Distant View mare, Cefira, who also has a yearling by fellow Darley stallion Bertolini.   She hails from a very fast family with top-class sprinters Abou Zouz, Millyant and Prince Sabo being close relatives.

  Exceed And Excel will be crowned the leading first season sire at the end of this month in Australia.

July 6th, 2008

The first race of the day at Flemington gave champion first-season sire elect Exceed And Excel another winner when Excelltastic took out the two-year-old handicap over 1400 metres.

Jumping from the outside barrier of 13, Excelltastic jumped well with Damien Oliver in the saddle. Going forward he was able to settle in behind Skipped Bail, Jet Kingdom and race favourite Georgia's Boy. With the race leaders going along quickly he was able to build his momentum as Jet Kingdom and Skipped Bail began to give ground rounding the home turn. Keeping the bay colt out of trouble Oliver raced past them at the 400m to challenge Georgia's Boy (Hussonet - Georgia Oh - by Peintre Celebre). the favourite. Georgia's Boy and Excelltastic had a great duel to the post with Excelltastic proving a shade too strong to win by a half-length with Bartholdi (Statue of Liberty - Gallorette by Whiskey Road) running on well from well back to grab third.

Excelltastic was bred by Darley Australia and is out of the placed Lear Fan mare, Fantail and a close relation to US G1 winner Dreams Gallore. He is the first winner for the mare, who also has a yearling by Elusive Quality and a foal by Dubawi.

The win by Excelltastic was Exceed And Excel’s 22nd winner and he will romp away with the first-season sires title in Australia. Exceed and Excel has also made a tremendous start in the northern hemisphere in England with Flashman Papers and Spin Cycle performing admirably at Royal Ascot.

June 18th, 2008

It's Royal Ascot week in England and on the first day of the week long racing carnival, Flashmans Papers, a two-year-old son of Darley stallion Exceed and Excel, scored a solid win in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at the juicy odds of 100/1.

Exceed and Excel, a son of Danehill, was a sprint star in his native land, who had one lone run in England when unplaced in the July Cup (G1). Currently he's Australia's Leading Freshman Sire of the current season (2007-08), he’s clearly started in a similar vein in Europe.  

Flashmans Papers is out of Franglais, a German foaled daughter of Lion Cavern (brother to Gone West). In a twist, Exceed and Excel has sired an Australian group winner Believe ’n’ Succeed out of a mare by Gone West.

June 15th, 2008

Darley first-season sire, Exceed And Excel, sired his sixth individual European winner when his filly, Infamous Angel, sprinted clear in a Maiden at Bath to easily win by two-lengths.  Appreciating the good ground she appears  more than capable of improving to a much higher level.

Bred by Bricklow Stud, she is out of the Sadler’s Wells mare Evangeline, whose second dam is the Group 2 winner and French 1000 Guineas placed, Libertine.  With Royal Ascot just around the corner, exciting times beckon for Exceed And Excel, who has outstanding chances in a number of Juvenile contests, notably Spin Cycle in the Norfolk Stakes and Excellent Show in the Queen Mary, to name just two. 

Exceed And Excel stands at Darley's Rouchel Road property at Aberdeen in New South Wales and his fee this spring is $110,000 (inc gst).

April 20th, 2008

Kalash broke through to give first season sire sensation Exceed and Excel his tenth winner when he took out the $60,000 Luskin Star Handicap (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday afternoon.  

Having his fourth career start Kalash showed a number of qualities, firstly he had to put up with Tully Dreamer going crazy in the barrier stall very near him.  When the field got away it was a very even start with the well fancied Drama Club getting back in the field and was near last coming to the home turn.  Kalash, who had raced three wide for the bulk of the journey while stalking the lead, quickly raced to the front with 200m to run and overwhelmed his opposition to claim his maiden win in solid fashion by 2-3/4 lengths.

Taamer (General Nediym - Pedante by Danehill), was the punters elect and didn't look comfortable on the very firm going did best of the rest three-quarters-of-a-length ahead of Drama Club (Flying Spur - Verocative by Bletchingly).

Kalash, was a $750,000 yearling purchase by international bloodstock agent John Ferguson, on behalf of Darley Stud.  The colt was sent to Lee Freedman who prepares his team from the seaside residence at Rye.  A good looking chestnut, Kalash, ended a frustrating run of outs for Freedman - who prior to Saturday's win had saddled up 35 runners without a winner on Melbourne metropolitan tracks.

Winning rider Steven King said he wasn't too concerned during the early and middle stages of the race when he was trapped three deep on the speed.

"I wasn't too fussed about getting to the rail," King said. "I just wanted him to jump out and find his feet."

"I thought we were going quick enough so there was no point in persevering to the rails, so it was a good result," he added.

King said the most important thing with Kalash was keeping him happy during the race - letting him basically do what he wanted.

"He's probably the sort of horse you can't restrict a hell of a lot. Just let him do what he wants to do, and that's be up on the speed - don't restrict him and keep him rolling."

Kalash, has a great female line, hence his big price tag as a yearling.  He is out of True Blonde (by Naturalism) thus making him a half brother to stakes performers Regrowth (multiple stakes winner at two) and Sharp Aunty (four times stakes placed and three time city winner).  True Blonde is a half-sister to the stakes winning Snippets, Quick Score and Asawir.  Other members of his family include the recent Group One winners Rewaaya and Forensics along with other high class performers like Zizou, Not a Single Doubt and Fun in Flight.

March 28th, 2008

Following the tremendous success of his progeny on the racecourse, Exceed and Excel’s yearlings continue to be very much in demand at this year’s Magic Millions Yearling Sale.

Fresh from siring the sales topper at Melbourne, it didn’t take long for one of his yearlings to realise over half a million dollars. This came in the form of lot 26, a bay colt out of the unraced Tale of The Cat mare Mehitable, who is from the immediate family of Champion Australian mare Our Tristalight. Consigned by Brooklyn Lodge, top trainer Gai Waterhouse was the eventual victor taking home the colt for $550,000.

Brooklyn Lodge, consigned lot 175, a bay colt from the family of Breeders’ Cup winner Artie Schiller and he was knocked down to Laird Racing for $580,000.

 In all, Exceed And Excel had a fantastic select session sale with 22 yearlings selling for an average of $268,750 a wonderful return off his $55,000 fee.  Fans of his progeny will have plenty of chances to purchase a yearling by him as he has another 33 yearlings on offer at the Inglis select sale (April 20-24) with two at the Inglis Classic sale (April 27-29th). 

March 9th, 2008

Group racing returned in Sydney over the weekend and with the launch of the autumn carnival earlier in the week the horses took centre stage at Rosehill on Saturday.

Exceed and Excel's daughter, Sugar Babe, drew first blood in the opening race on the card and in doing so she cemented her place in the field for the $1.5million Conrad Jupiters Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m). 

Trained in Melbourne at Rye by Lee Freedman the stakes winning filly was having her first try right handed. 

Ridden by Dan Nikolic she began well and he asked her to tuck in off the slow tempo set by Marsmagic she did without a worry in the world. In the meantime Marsmagic, Dalayel and Mr Profumo had a very easy time up front during the first half of he race. As the field began to turn for home Nikolic angled Sugar Babe away from the rail and kept her on the correct lead-leg. Once straightened up he kept her well balanced and she stagged a ding-dong battle with Stripper over the last 400m to only gain superiority a few strides from the post and although Stripper was on her outside she couldn't match the sustained gallop.

Nikolic rode the filly hard but he didn't use the whip too much and Sugar Babe responded to find plenty under her 57kilos to beat Stripper (Danehill Dancer - Miss Charmer by Zabeel) by a half-length with the same margin back to Mr Profumo (Falvelon - Kiss And Covert by St Covert) in third.

Sugar Babe, is from the Group 2 winning Zeditave mare On Type, and was purchased as a yearling at last years Magic Millions sale by Freedman for $500,000. Todate she has bagged more than $100,000.

On Type's latest yearling, an attractive Zabeel filly, will attract a great deal of interest at this month's Magic Millions Yearling Sale at the Gold Coast. A member of the draft from Strawberry Hill Stud, the Zabeel filly will go under the hammer during the first session having been catalogued as lot number 103.

Exceed And Excel will be represented by 36 yearlings at the Gold Coast sale (March 24th - April 2nd). He has 33 on offer at the Inglis Select sale (April 20-24) and two at the Inglis Classic sale (April 27-29th). 

February 10th, 2008

It was Group One racing at Caulfield on Saturday with a strong undercard that featured two Group Three Blue Diamond Prelude's sponsored by leading stud Arrowfield who once stood the all conquering Danehill. Danehill sired the feature race winner when his son Shinzig stuck his head out when it mattered most in a tight finish to win the Group I C. F. Orr Stakes (1400m). 

He then added his hoofprint to the card again when his highflying son Exceed And Excel doubled his number of stakes winners to four when his progeny quinelled both divisions of the Group 3 juvenile events. 

In the colts and geldings division of the Prelude the Darley owned and Lee Freedman-trained Wilander got the ball rolling by leading all the way to post an impressive a two-and-a-half-length win over stablemate Exceedingly Good (ex Common Smytzer by Snippets). With another three-quarters-of-a-length back to third, Minnesota Shark (Lonhro e x Ponton Flyer by Flying Spur).

Wilander drew barrier one and showed brilliant speed from the inside draw and with Luke Nolen rating him superbly he was able to slip clear at the top of the straight and have all his rivals under pressure as he comfortably held Exceeding Good in the run to the line.

Freedman told TVN's Bruce Clark that the runner-up (Exceedingly Good) would have more scope for improvement in the $1 million Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m).

"I have consistently said that Exceedingly Good was a bit underdone and he raced like that," Freedman said.

"He was going to run right into the race but his condition just gave up.

" I think there's not much improvement in the winner but he doesn't have to improve much." There's a lot of improvement in the second horse."

"Take nothing away from the winner, he's a very good horse."

Wilander stays undefeated in two starts, having made a stunning debut with an 8-length romp at Ballarat on January 27. 

An impressive chestnut colt, Wilander was a $625,000 purchase by Darley Stud bloodstock agent John Ferguson at the 2007 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. By one of the nation’s hottest young sires and a half-brother to Group I The Galaxy winner Magnus (Flying Spur), Wilander himself becomes a stallion prospect. 

Bred and offered for sale by Lee Fleming's Eliza Park, Wilander is the sixth foal of his dam Scandinavia (Snippets), the winner of the Group 2 QTC Cup and Group 3 VATC Blue Diamond Preview. Scandinavia has a yearling filly by Bel Esprit, a colt foal by God’s Own and was bred back to Flying Spur last spring. 

Wilander became the third stakes-winner for Exceed And Excel who had to wait just forty minutes more for his fourth.

That came when the Mark Kavanagh-trained Believe ‘N’ Succeed led from start to finish in the fillies division of the Blue Diamond Prelude.

Kavanagh claimed he had grave concerns for Believe ‘N’ Succeed when Stephen Baster led at a fast clip.

“I thought, my God what are you doing Stephen,” Kavanagh told TVN's Bruce Clark. 

He need not have worried as Believe ‘N’ Succeed was untroubled to the line and defeated Sugar Babe (ex On Type by Zeditave) by a length and three-quarters with Burgeis (Catbird ex Grand Performance by Palace Music) a long-neck away in third. 

“She might be really good,” Kavanagh said.

“She carved out some fast sectionals and I though she went a bit quick but she kicked again, she’s a real natural and very professional.”

Believe 'N' Succeed clocked 45.68 for her last 800m, 35 seconds for the last 600m; 23.56 seconds for the last 400 and 12seconds for the last furlong with her overall time 1:03.70. While Wilander clocked 45.37 for his 800m; 34.30 for the 600m; 22.76 for 400m and 11.68 for his last furlong with his overall time being 1:03.90 

Like Wilander, it was just the second career start for Believe 'N' Succeed who had sat off a strong pace on her debut at the same course two weeks earlier and had tried very hard to finish third to Siennas Fury in a blanket finish. 

Bred by Darley Stud, Believe 'N' Succeed was a $300,000 purchase by Kavanagh at the 2007 Magic Millions Yearling sale. She is the first foal of the Gone West mare Arctic Drift, a daughter of the Storm Cat mare November Snow, a dual group one winner of the Alabama Stakes and Test Stakes at Saratoga.

Arctic Drift has a yearling filly by Fantastic Light and missed to Cape Cross in 2006. She was covered by the 2006 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Nadeem (Redoute’s Choice) last year. 

January 27th, 2008

Exceed And Excel, had some nice results this weekend with his son Wilander (ex Scandinavia by Snippets) adding himself to the Group I Blue Diamond mix with a dominant eight-length victory on his debut at Ballarat today.

Wilander led all the way at Ballarat and joins his stablemate Exceedingly Good in the hunt for juvenile honours.

On Saturday, at Caulfield, Believe ‘N’ Succeed became the latest Exceed And Excel juvenile to gain black type when third in the Listed Blue Diamond Prelude, at her racing debut. She is out of the American-bred mare Arctic Drift, by Gone West.

Exceed And Excel’s first-crop runners in Australia include Group 3 winner Exceedingly Good and Listed winner Sugar Babe.

 The 2008 New Zealand sale series at Karaka kicks off tomorrow and Exceed And Excel will be represented by four yearlings.  He has two on offer at the WA Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale (Feb 15-22nd) and another 20 yearlings listed for sale at the William Inglis Premier Sale (March 1st-6th).

January 3rd, 2008

Darley's young freshman sire, Exceed And Excel notched his third winner at Cranbourne during the festive period when Solar Strike took out an easy maiden win at Cranbourne. 

With only a handful of runners, the young son of Danehill, has made an instant impact with Hall of Fame trainer, Lee Freedman, as he has trained all of the young guns winners so far. The other two being the Group Three Maribyrnong Plate victor Exceedingly Good and MRC Debutants Stakes winner Sugar Babe. 

Solar Strike was having her second career run, her debut was against the subsequent stakes winner All American (by Red Ransom - who stands for Darley in the northern hemisphere).  Solar Strike is out of the metropolitan winning mare, Unrocel Tap (by Geiger Counter), a half-sister to the Group One Rosehill Guineas winner Solar Circle (by Star Way) and the Group One T.J. Smith Stakes runner-up, Ready As (by More Than Ready).

In New Zealand at the Karaka 2008 Premier Sale, January 28th and 29th, Exceed And Excel will be represented by four yearlings.  He has two on offer at the WA Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale (Feb 15-22nd) and another 20 yearlings at the William Inglis Premier Sale (March 1st-6th).

November 4th, 2007

It Was the Victoria Racing Club's Derby Day at Flemington and Lee Freedman maintained his perfect record in Melbourne's two-year-old races this season when exciting colt Exceedingly Good lived up to his name with a gutsy win in the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) run before breakfast at 10:20am on Saturday. 

The bay youngster was sent out a short priced favourite for the feature on the strength of his debut victory in the Maribyrnong Trial on the same course, October 6th, and bounced straight to the front from the inside gate, setting an even tempo on the rail side.  The field split into two sections.  Commissioned led on the 'grandstand side' and the chestnut son of General Nediym appeared to be right up with Exceedingly Good at the 250m but the son of Exceed and Excel drew away to win from Reaan (Hussonet - Ribe by Danehill) with Nato (General Nediym - True Seduction by Bellotto) , who ran on well out wide, for third a half-head further away.

Exceedingly Good, is part-owned by Tony Santic of Makybe Diva fame, is going for a summer spell and Freedman will set him for the autumn carnival features. 

"That was a good win, he dug deep," Freedman said. 

"We'll either get him ready for the Slipper or the Diamond, one of the two", he added. 

Freedman has won all four two-year-old races in Melbourne so far this season with Exceedingly Good claiming two of them and Woppitt (Danzero) and Sugar Babe (Exceed And Excel) one apiece. 

October 13th, 2007

Darley's young stallion Exceed And Excel, has got off to a wonderful start in his new career with his daughter Sugar Babe making it stakes winner number two from as many runners increasing the boom on the young son of Danehill.

Trained at Mornington by Lee Freedman for a group of owners headed by John O'Neill, who part-owned Caulfield Cup winner Mummify, and ridden by Dan Nikolic, Sugar Babe had trialled brilliantly, winning a Cranbourne 800m heat in a quick 46.60s last month, and subsequently she was sent out a short priced favourite for the Listed 1000m event.

Jumping away from an outside draw Sugar Babe got away well with Berryland bouncing away best.  Segolene worked up alongside Berryland and took over at the 600m mark and rounded the home turn with a length advantage over her rivals while Sugar Babe worked hard out three wide.  Once Nikolic had Sugar Babe balanced he asked her to lengthen and she showed plenty of courage to score by  a long head from Pachanga (Redoute's Choice - Foxtrot by Rorys Jester) with Segolene (Lonhro - Dorky by Grand Lodge) showing plenty of heart to hold on for third another 2-1/2 lengths away.

The early leader, Berryland (Redoute's Choice - Roadsong by Haulpak) finished fourth to give the fillies the first four home in the juvenile stakes event.

A week earlier Exceed And Excel's, his first runner, Exceedingly Good, took out the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes at Flemington, and he is also trained at Mornington by Lee Freedman, whose stable has a strong team of juveniles. Freedman has placed his faith in the progeny of Exceed And Excel with 18 of them on its books.

Interviewed after the race, Freedman said: “Let's hope it's Danehill all over again. I haven't tried too many that can’t gallop yet.”

Sugar Babe was a $500,000 Magic Millions purchase in January and was bred by Strawberry Hill Stud from Multiple Group-winning mare On Type (Zeditave).

Exceed And Excel has his first yearlings on offer in Europe at present and they were all the rage at Book 1 of Tattersalls’ October Sale last week. All six offered were sold for an average of 116,167gns ($280,014) with a top lot of 160,000gns ($385,680). Another five sold yesterday on the opening day of Book 2 for an average of 66,600gns ($160,473) and a top lot of 115,000gns ($277,093).

Looking ahead to next year's Easter Sales, one lot that may cause a bit of interest is the colt out of Forest Pearl (by Woodman), the dam of Miss Finland.

Exceed And Excel stands at Darley’s base in the Hunter Valley for $55,000. 

October 7th, 2007

At Flemington on Saturday the feature of the day was the Group I Turnbull Stakes, however, the opening race on the 10-strong card held plenty of interest for breeders in the southern hemisphere with the running of the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m).   

Mornington based, Lee Freedman, got the day off to a perfect start when Exceedingly Good gave Darley's young sire Exceed And Excel his first runner and stakes winner.  

Freedman trained many of the best of Exceedingly Good's sire, Danehill, stock to grace the track including Golden Slipper winners Flying Spur, Danzero and Merlene. So it’s was a powerful statement when Freedman favourably compared Exceed and Excel to his breed shaping sire following the professional performance of Exceedingly Good in the first stakes-race for juveniles this season.

Freedman is in a good position to make judgment with a reported 15 two-year-olds by the young gun on his books, telling Bruce Clark of TVN, “Most of the ones we’ve got have shown great speed and have got great temperaments very much like the Danehill's so I hope it’s Danehill revisited, it would be great”. 

After missing the start slightly Exceedingly Good quickly gathered speed to track leader Happy Genes (Rory’s Jester) as the field divided into two on opposite sides of the Flemington straight.  Cory Brown gave the colt more rein 300 metres from home and he quickly put paid to any competitors on the rails side however the superbly bred Starfish (Redoute's Choice - Stella Cadente by Centaine) staked her claim down the grandstand rail.  Exceedingly Good (ex Common Smytzer by Snippets) held her to a neck with the well supported Nato (General Nediym ex True Seduction by Bellotto) three-quarters of a length back in third in a time of 59.26.

A $400,000 yearling purchase at the Australian Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney, Exceedingly Good races in the colours of her breeder, Tony Santic’s Emily Krstina syndicate.  He is the third foal and second winner for the stakes-placed Snippets mare Common Smytzer, a half sister to QTC McDougall Stakes (LR) winner Our Majestic Blue (Bluebird).  Common Smytzer has a yearling colt by More Than Ready (USA) and is due to foal a sibling to Exceedingly Good in November. 

A two-time Group 1 winning son of Danehill, Exceed And Excel was the most popular first crop sire at the major yearling sales this year, with 71 selling at an average of $223,126.76.  One of a myriad of shuttle stallions making a delayed start to the 2007 breeding season, Exceed And Excel stands at Darley Stud, Aberdeen, at an advertised fee of $55,000.

January 22nd, 2007

STALLIONS continues our series of profiles of stallions whose progeny are for sale for the first time at public auction this year.

Among them is Exceed and Excel.

Among the various qualities possessed by Exceed And Excel as a racehorse were toughness and consistency. When combined with his natural speed and courage, it proved a compelling mix, and one that has attracted breeders in his two seasons at stud.

A good-looking individual, he prompted his trainer Tim Martin, who had spotted Exceed and Excel at a pre-sale stud visit, to bid to $375,000, for him at the 2002 Sydney Easter Sale. It was the most Martin had ever paid for a horse – and with no prospective clients to buy into him.

He was duly sold to Nick Moraitis and Alan Osburg and theirs, and Martin’s, faith was justified when Exceed and Excel won seven of his 12 starts, two at the elite level and more than $1.2 million in prizemoney. Darley Stud later purchased Exceed And Excel at the conclusion of his racetrack career.

Exceed and Excel is a son of Danehill who at last count has produced 330 stakes winners, a further 218 stakes placegetters and 1400 individual winners with earnings of more than $340million. A champion three-year-old sprinter himself Danehill, won four from nine starts including the Group I Ladbroke Sprint Cup (1200m) at Haydock.

Danehill is by another fast horse in Danzig, who was unbeaten in three starts, and went on to produce such successful sires as like Chief’s Crown, Green Desert, Anabaa, Belong to Me, Maroof and Agnes World among his 190 stakes winners.

Danehill’s dam Razyana is by His Majesty, who is a son of Ribot, from Northern Dancer’s half-sister Spring Adieu by Buckpasser.

Danehill’s list of superior performers is lengthy and is still growing. He has five Golden Slipper winners to his credit Danzero, Merlene, Flying Spur, Catbird and Ha Ha – the three males are very successful sires from his century of sire sons.

Exceed and Excel’s dam Patrona won over 1200m and has had five foals with four to race all are winners. Other than Exceed and Excel she has produced the Listed winner Enemy of Average (by Fusaichi Pegasus) the stakes placed 11-time winner Open Magnet (by Honour and Glory) and the multiple winning Redoute’s Choice full relations To Be Surprised and Patronize.

Patrona is by the English 2000 Guineas winner Lomond, sire of more than 300 winners of $18 million and 28 stakes winners including champion Marling (winner of four group one events). His daughters have produce the winners of more than $38 million including four other group I winners. Ascot Golden Jubilee Stakes winning Fayr Jag (Fayruz), Argentinean Group I winner Beau Fete, Ascot Fillies’ Mile winner Aqaarid (Nashwan) and Coronation Stakes winner, Balisada (Kris).

Patrona is a three-quarter sister to the Canadian group one winner Swamp King (Vice Regent) and a half-sister to French stakes winner Dramatis (Spectacular Bid). They are among eight winners from the tough performer Gladiolus (Watch Your Step – Back Britches by Carry Back), who won 17 races including the Group 3 Interborough Handicap (twice).

Carry Back the sire of Back Britches is the winner of two of America’s great races the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

Exceed and Excel has 45 yearlings on offer at the major public auction houses during the next three months. He has 30 listed to go through the ring at the Magic Millions Sale on the Gold Coast (January 10 – 19th), another five in New Zealand at the Premier Select Sale at Karaka (January 29 – 30). One lone entry at the Magic Millions Adelaide Sale (February 19-22), four at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale (February 10 – 12) and five in Melbourne at the Inglis Premier sale (March 4 – 6). - MC

January 15th, 2006

The first yearlings by Exceed and Excel have taken the sale ring by storm with the select portion of the 2007 Magic Millions Yearling Sale concluding on Sunday, Exceed and Excel had three yearlings knocked down for more than $500,000 with an average of $182,200.

The first four sessions saw 28 yearlings by Darley's young son of Danehill sell. Leading the way was the second foal from juvenile stakes winner, Flashed (Fuji Kiseki). The mare is herself out of Listed winner Bright Light, whose five foals to races have all saluted the judge.

The colt offered by Southern Cross Breeders sold for $380,000 by Surefire Ltd. He is out of the Barathea mare, Happens, who finished second in the AJC Widden Stakes. A few lots later, his half sister to Carnegie's dual G1-winning son, Carnegie Express, sold for $300,000 to Freyer Bloodstock.

Then Swettenham Stud’s colt from Group 3 winner Living Spirit (Hennessy) was snapped up by John Ferguson for $580,000 and also reaching the half-million dollar mark was a bay filly from the Zeditave mare On Type, offered by Strawberry Hill Stud and bought by Hall of Fame trainer Lee Freedman. 

Exceed And Excel’s own trainer, Tim Martin, was also keen to invest in the progeny of his former charge, going to $290,000 to secure Lot 167 – a bay filly out of the Star Way mare Nicety from from the family of Champion filly Tristanagh.

November 21st, 2006

  With the breeding stock sale at Goffs’ wrapping up it was great to see that the Australian-bred Exceed And Excel proving popular with buyers at the sale.  He was represented by three lots over €100,000 (A$167,084). Many observers were impressed by the physical appearance of his foals and he looks set to be increasingly popular.