Irish-trained Arctic has claimed another ice-cool victory, this time in the G3 Go And Go Round Tower Stakes on Sunday, to remain unbeaten in three starts. The grey colt, who was bred by Darley and races for Australian owner Richard Pegum, is from the first European crop of Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway - Helsinki by Machiavellian), whose southern hemisphere representatives include Group Two runner-up Marquardt and Premardal.

Twenty-four hours earlier, three-year-old Exceptional Art swooped late with a last-to-first run to claim the spoils in the 1000m Beverley Bullet Stakes in Engalnd. The chestnut son of Exceed And Excel, who was bred by Mascalls Stud from the Polar Falcon mare Only In Dreams, is racing in new colours this season, having been sold at the end of his juvenile year. Now flying the flag for the Middleham Park Racing XXVII syndicate, he has added two victories to his maiden success as a two-year-old from only six starts to date.

Exceptional Art is a member of Exceed And Excel’s first European crop, which also includes G2 Lowther Stakes heroine Infamous Angel, while in Australia, his runners include the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Reward For Effort. Having finished last season as leading second-crop sire in Australia, his second European crop is looking just as promising, with 19 individual juvenile scorers to date, including the Listed winners Nideeb and Piccadilly Filly.

Both Shamardal and Exceed and Excel return to Australia this spring to cover mares at Darley’s Kelvinside property in New South Wales.

Shamardal stands at a fee of $27,500 (inc gst) while Exceed and Excel’s (Danehill - Patrona by Lomand) remains at $110,000 (inc gst) this spring.

Tags: Darley
Permalink| Aug 31, 2009

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