Danehill | Horse Racing Free Tips

Exceed And Excel Retires After ‘Journey of Excellence’

Former Australian champion sire and influential shuttle stallion Exceed And Excel (Aus) (Danehill), described as “an amazing horse from day dot”, has been retired from stud duties by Darley at the age of 23.

The announcement came on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the sprinter's victory in the G1 Newmarket H. at Flemington. After that win for owners Nick Moraitis and Alan Osburg, he was bought by Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum as a stallion prospect and made one final start for Tim Martin in the July Cup in the UK. Exceed And Excel was crowned champion sprinter in Australia in 2003/04, with seven wins from 11 career starts, six of which came at Group level, including the G2 Todman S.

Since those days he has compiled a comprehensive record at stud both in his native Australia and during shuttle stints at both Dalham Hall Stud in England and Kildangan Stud in Ireland.

“We priced him at A$50,000 in his first season (at stud) and that was aggressive back then. He was immediately very popular, he covered a really good book first year and they sold very well,” said Darley Australia's Head of Stallions Alastair Pulford.

“His first crop was absolutely outstanding so he really announced himself as a stallion immediately. Exceedingly Good won the first two-year-old race of the season at Flemington and we thought, 'We're in business here'.

“A few months later he quinellaed both the divisions of the Blue Diamond Preludes. He got the Blue Diamond winner in his second crop, Reward For Effort, who went on to a career at stud himself.

“His sixth crop was an exceptional crop; we sent a lot of high-class mares of our own to him that year. The level of mares he was getting was high and that crop included the Golden Slipper winner Overreach, Guelph and Sidestep.”

One of the few reverse shuttlers to properly make a mark in Europe, Exceed And Excel's northern hemisphere Group/Grade 1 winners include Margot Did (GB), Excelebration (Ire), Outstrip (GB) and Mischief Magic (Ire). Most recently he was represented by a British Classic winner when the homebred Mawj (Ire) won last year's 1,000 Guineas for Godolphin and Saeed Bin Suroor. He is also the broodmare sire of Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and, through Outstrip, features as the grandsire of Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip (Fr).

Bred by the Ascot Breeding Partnership, Exceed And Excel is a son of Patrona (Lomond) and was bought for A$375,000 at the 2002 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

As he embarks on his retirement he is the sire of 18 Group/Grade 1 winners worldwide and is the only Australian-bred horse to have sired more than 200 stakes winners.The elite group of seven stallions to have achieved that feat is completed by his own sire Danehill, Sadler's Wells, Galileo (Ire), Dubawi (Ire), More Than Ready and Deep Impact (Jpn).

Along with the aforementioned Anthony Van Dyck, Exceed And Excel's record as a broodmare sire in Europe is extended by the Group 1 winners Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}). His sons remaining at stud in Ireland include Cotai Glory (GB), Bungle Inthejungle (GB) and Kuroshio (Aus).

Godolphin Australia's bloodstock manager Jason Walsh also paid tribute to the horse. He said, “He's been the most reliable source of early speed for so many seasons in both hemispheres, and his effect on the breed, and certainly on our organisation, globally has been profound.

“The other thing that makes him remarkable is the number of seasons he would have shuttled consecutively, just amazing.”

“He's been a pleasure to have around, from a personality perspective he's a true gentleman and has been a statesman in our stallion complex for so long. He's got some outstanding young stock coming through from some of our best-performed young mares.”

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First Force Scores Upset First Group 1 in Takamatsunomiya Kinen

Coming into this G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen off a seasonal bow back in January in the G3 Silk Road S., where he finished second behind Namura Clair (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}), First Force (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) found his redemption after a ninth place effort in this contest last season with a grinding, determined victory to pick up his career-first Group 1 black-type on Sunday.

Breaking in good order from barrier 13 over a rain-drenched course, First Force was pushed along by Taisei Danno to hold an outside spot from mid-pack and contentedly tracked pacesetters from that position. Taking closer order with 600 metres to the wire, he unfurled his closing kick from between rivals the length of the stretch and collared Travesura (Jpn) (Dream Journey {Jpn}) in the last 100 to pull away for a length score. Namura Clair followed the winner into the straight and showed good acceleration to reach contention to claim runner-up honors in the final strides before the line.

“I thought our gate number turned out for the better as the track today seemed to work better for those on the outside. The trip went smoothly for us, much better than I had expected. I was able to give him a short breather before the fourth corner and he responded well at the homestretch,” commented jockey Taisei Danno, who also picked up his first Group 1 victory here and his fourth Group win. Conditioner Masayuki Nishimura would also make personal history claiming his career-first Group 1 victory since opening his yard in 2015, here.

First Force is out of MSP Rush Life, who claims five winners from eight to race including his accomplished half-brother A Day In The Life (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Their dam is herself a half-sister to millionaire SW Tagano Dangerous (Jpn) (End Sweep) as well as to the dam of SP Single Up (Jpn) (Kinshasa no Kiseki {Aus}). This is the extended female family of Japanese champion older mare Louisiana Pit (Jpn), MGSW Meisho Naruto (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), and MGSP Epicharis (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}). Rush Life's more recent offspring on course include 5-year-old Alcione (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), who went undefeated in six starts last season. The dam also has a 3-year-old filly Sterilize (Jpn) (Mikki Rocket {Jpn}) as well as a 2-year-old colt by Black Tide (Jpn). She is last reported due to Shuji (Jpn) for 2023.

Sunday, Chukyo, Japan
TAKAMATSUNOMIYA KINEN-G1, ¥329,400,000, Chukyo, 3-26, 4yo/up, 1200mT, 1:08.20, sf.
1–FIRST FORCE (JPN), 128, h, 7, by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)
1st Dam: Rush Life (Jpn) (MSW-Jpn, $733,670), by Sakura Bakushin-Oh (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Friend Lei (Jpn), by Danehill
3rd Dam: Martin Miyuki (Jpn), by Maruzensky (Jpn)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Koji Yasuhara; B-Mishima Bokujo (Jpn); T-Masayuki Nishimura; J-Taisei Danno; ¥173,780,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Jpn, 25-4-5-1, ¥313,847,000. *Half to A Day In The Life (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), GSW-Jpn, $1,222,321. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com pedigree.
2–Namura Clair (Jpn), 123, f, 4, Mikki Isle (Jpn)–Sun Queen, by Storm Cat. O-Mutsuhiro Namur; B-Tanikawa Farm (Jpn); ¥69,080,000.
3–Travesura (Jpn), 128, h, 8, Dream Journey (Jpn)–Jaja Machan (Jpn), by Admire Cozzene (Jpn). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Teruya Yoshida; B-Shadai Farm (Jpn); ¥43,540,000.
Margins: 1, HF, HF. Odds: 31.30, 4.40, 41.10
Also ran: Naran Huleg (Jpn), Grenadier Guards (Jpn), Lotus Land, Aguri (Jpn), Vento Voce (Jpn), Kir Lord (Jpn), Win Marvel (Jpn), Daddy's Vivid (Jpn), Meikei Yell (Jpn), Pixie Knight (Jpn), Divination (Jpn), Toshin Macau (Jpn), Water Navillera (Jpn), Opal Charme (Jpn), Buon Voyage (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart and Video.

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12 Questions: Richard Knight

First job in the Thoroughbred industry?

Mucking out at Guirys 1 in Coolmore Ireland on my year out from University. I think there were 20 foals in the barn – 18 by Sadler's Wells and two by Danehill.

Biggest influence on your career?

Ultimately, my father, who introduced both my brother William and I to racing. He loved his National Hunt and we spent many a happy afternoon at Huntingdon and Towcester. Later in life, both Richard Henry and Simon Mockridge played major roles in my experience and development.

Favourite racehorse of all time, and why?

Desert Orchid. I was 10 when he won the Gold Cup and he was a grey who jumped well – everything me and my grey pony at the time aspired to be.

Who will be champion first-season sire in 2023?

Too Darn Hot.

Greatest race in the world?

The Derby.

If you could be someone else in the industry for a day who would it be, and why?

MV Magnier. MV works very hard and I would imagine his day-to-day is incredibly diverse from selecting young stock to managing the paths of future champions. I love that diversity.

Emerging talent in the industry (human)?

He has already emerged, but at only 24 years old, I am going to say Tom Marquand. I am sure Tom will be champion jockey in the near future.

Name a horse TDN should have made a Rising Star, and didn't?

Checkandchallenge – I so hope he will provide my brother William with his first Group 1 winner in 2023.

Under-the-radar stallion?

Once again, I am not sure quite how under the radar they are, but I think both Saxon Warrior and Cracksman are set for big years ahead.

Friday night treat?

Chinese takeaway.

Guilty pleasure outside racing?

Watching Rugby Union.

Race I wish I'd been there for…

The Wow Signal's Prix Morny Group 1 win. I think I was inspecting yearlings for the Goffs UK Premier sale. Any winner celebrating with John and Sean Quinn is good fun, so I really missed out with his Group 1 win.

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‘Tough, Genuine and Consistent’: Rock Of Gibraltar Dies at 23

Former world champion 3-year-old Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) (Danehill–Offshore Boom {GB}, by Be My Guest) has died from heart failure at Castlehyde Stud in Ireland at the age of 23.

The son of Danehill was bred by the late Joe Crowley with his daughter Annemarie and son-in-law Aidan O'Brien. He was sent into training with the latter at Ballydoyle as a juvenile in 2001, later racing for the partnership of Sir Alex Ferguson and Susan Magnier.

Rock Of Gibraltar's sensational racing career, which saw him land seven consecutive Group 1 races in 11 months, began in the April of his 2-year-old season when he broke his maiden over five furlongs in the hands of Mick Kinane at the Curragh. Kinane, Ballydoyle's stable jockey at that time, would be aboard for 12 of the colt's 13 starts, his one omission being when suspended for the 2000 Guineas. Rock Of Gibraltar, ridden that day at Newmarket by Johnny Murtagh, raced on the far side of the track, beating stablemate and race favourite Hawk Wing by a neck to land the first of his two Classic victories, with Kinane back in the saddle for his follow-up at the Curragh.

Kinane remembers his partnership with Rock Of Gibraltar as “the most fun I had riding any racehorse”.

He told TDN on Monday, “He was an exceptional racehorse. He loved racing, and he was the only horse I ever rode who would have a buck and kick and a squeal going down to the start. He had an unbelievable turn of pace. He was a fantastic miler, a brilliant 2-year-old and a brilliant 3-year-old.”

In hindsight, Rock Of Gibraltar's 2000 Guineas starting price of 9-1 seems extraordinarily generous. By the time he lined up for his seasonal debut on the Rowley Mile on May 4, 2002, he was already a dual Group 1 winner, having annexed the Grand Criterium and Dewhurst S. to conclude a juvenile campaign in which he won five of his seven races, including the G2 Gimcrack S. and G3 Railway S.

At three, he became the fifth horse in history to land the 2,000 Guineas double in Britain and Ireland, and then went on to add the St James's Palace S., Sussex S., and Prix du Moulin to his outstanding record, becoming the first horse to win seven consecutive Group 1 races in the northern hemisphere, beating a record previously held for 30 years by the great Mill Reef. In his final start, Rock Of Gibraltar was second to Domedriver (Ire), beaten less than a length in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Arlington.

Horse of the Year in 2002, Rock Of Gibraltar embarked on his stud career at Coolmore the following season, effectively replacing Mozart, another top son of Danehill who had died the previous May after only one season at stud. 'The Rock' remained in Ireland for all bar one of the subsequent years, when he stood at the Shizunai Stallion Station in Japan in 2007. His 16 Group 1 winners include the top sprinter Society Rock (Ire), Eclipse S. winner and former useful sire Mount Nelson (GB), and the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Samitar (Ire). In recent seasons Rock Of Gibraltar has featured as the broodmare sire of subsequent winners of the 2,000 Guineas, Kameko and Poetic Flare (Ire).

Rock Of Gibraltar was out of the Be My Guest mare Offshore Boom (GB), who had been bought from her breeder Moyglare Stud by Crowley and the O'Briens in 1997 for IR£11,000. One of her later foals, also by Danehill, was the G3 Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial runner-up Nell Gwyn (Ire).

A lengthy essay in Racehorses of 2002 perhaps summed up the late stallion's racing career of 10 wins from 13 starts best when stating, “It goes almost without saying that the hardy Timeform epithet 'tough, genuine and consistent' fits Rock Of Gibraltar to a T.”

In tribute to Rock Of Gibraltar, Paddy Fleming, stud manager at Castlehyde, said, “He was healthy and looking great right up to the end. He was a fantastic racehorse and a very good sire who will be missed by all the staff here.”

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