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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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Trio of Darley Stallions Reported to Have First Mares in Foal

Darley newcomers Modern Games (Ire), Native Trail (GB) and Triple Time (Ire) have all had their first mares scanned in foal, the operation announced on Tuesday.

Dalham Hall Stud resident Modern Games won five races at the top level for Charlie Appleby, notably winning at the Breeders' Cup in successive years when landing the Juvenile Turf in 2021 and Mile in 2022. Modern Games is reported to have four mares in foal, including George Strawbridge's G1 Prix Royal-Oak winner Montare (Ire) (Montjeu {GB}), already the dam of three talented performers by Dubawi (Ire)–who is also the sire of Modern Games–namely Journey (GB), Indigo Girl (GB) and Mimikyu (GB).

Triple Time, who enjoyed his biggest success when winning last year's G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot, is also standing his first season at Dalham Hall in 2024 at a fee of £10,000. G2 Lancashire Oaks winner Emirates Queen (GB), a half-sister to Dubawi by Street Cry (Ire), is among the first mares covered by Triple Time to be scanned in foal. Emirates Queen's most notable progeny so far is the multiple Listed winner/Group 1-placed Royal Champion (Ire) (Shamardal).

Over in Ireland, Native Trail is new to Kildangan Stud for 2024 following a racing career which saw him crowned Europe's leading two-year-old in 2021 before going on to win the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas at three. The early mares in foal to him include Woodford Farm's Amore Bello (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}), a half-sister to the GIII Miesque S. winner More Than Love (More Than Ready) and from the family of the four-time Group 1 heroine Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never).

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British Developmental Series Expanded with Over £3m in Prize-Money

There is now another reason – or make that 84 reasons – to look forward to the Brocklesby S. in a little over five weeks. The traditional curtain-raiser for the British two-year-old season is the first of 84 races this year to benefit from increased funding through a programme of high-value developmental races in 2024.

This initiative, which was launched last year with a series of 63 races, is driven by British stallion studs through the European Breeders' Fund (EBF), Juddmonte, Darley and Tattersalls, and will provide more than £3 million in prize-money for novice and maiden races. It is also receiving support from the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) Development Fund.

For the two-year-old programme, it means that 32 open novice/maiden races will be worth a minimum of £40,000, and another 29 restricted novice/maidens will carry a minimum of £30,000. There will also be 23 open novice/maiden races for three-year-olds plus, worth a minimum of £40,000.

The series was initially launched in 2023 with the backing of Juddmonte and Darley with the aim of supporting the British breeding industry and encouraging owners to buy and race in Britain.

In a press release issued on Thursday, Juddmonte noted the “healthy field sizes achieved by 2023's sponsored races (average 10.5) with an average cost of the winners at public auction just shy of £31,000.”

Juddmonte CEO Douglas Erskine Crum said, “After the success of last year's BHA initiative to kick-start a long-term plan to enhance prize-money substantially for developmental races, Juddmonte is delighted to support financially this year's further enhancements. These high prize-money developmental races directly support owners and breeders in areas that can be overlooked and thereby support our UK breeding industry.”

Sam Bullard, director of stallions at Darley shared his sentiments and added, “Following the success of last year's race series and the many positive comments received, we are delighted to continue our sponsorship of this important development fund.

“Darley remains committed to supporting breeders through both race sponsorship and our contribution to the EBF and we hope that these elements will continue to work together for the benefit of British racing.”

The involvement in the series of the British EBF, which last year boosted prize-money across British racing by £2 million from the contributions made to the fund by stallion owners, has added over £325,000 for more than 30 of the high-value developmental races.

Simon Sweeting, chairman of British EBF, said, “One of the unique features of our prize-money contributions is to encourage racecourses to 'match-fund'; it is wonderful to see the model we pioneered and embedded, replicated by our fellow sponsors in these races. For example, the Brocklesby Stakes will be run at £40,000 for the first time in 2024, a 70 per cent increase from before British stallion studs (EBF) involvement.”

He added, “By supporting these races, we hope to showcase to owners and breeders the valuable impact our stallion owners' contributions have on raising prize-money levels across the maiden and novice programme.”

Richard Wayman, chief operating officer of the BHA, acknowledged the “common purpose” behind the sponsorship of the series by the British EBF, Juddmonte, Darley and Tattersalls.

“I am extremely grateful for their support in this project, along with the many racecourses involved and the Horserace Betting Levy Board, and am confident that these races will be well supported by our owners and trainers,” he said.

“We are delighted to expand the programme of high-value developmental races for 2024. These races play a hugely important role within the race programme and yet, historically, it is an area where prize-money has been behind our international competitors. It is essential that steps are taken to retain quality horses on our shores and with over 80 of these races scheduled for the coming season, this is one initiative that we believe will support this broader aim.”

Tattersalls has also lent its support to the series by backing 10 two-year-old novice and maiden races in addition to its own bonus schemes which reward purchasers of horses at the October Yearling Sales and Craven Breeze-up Sale.

Jimmy George, Marketing Director of Tattersalls, said, “We introduced the hugely popular £25,000 Tattersalls October Book 1 Bonus Scheme back in 2016 with the aim of rewarding owners with the best maiden and novice prize-money in Europe. Since then we have paid out more than £8 million directly to owners and the Tattersalls support of these high-value maidens and novices is an extension of our commitment to this area of the racing programme.

“Prize-money for British Group and Listed races is the best in Europe, but maidens and novices are less competitive and alongside the BHA, EBF, Darley and Juddmonte, Tattersalls will continue to focus on this crucial sector.”

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First Reported Foals For Naval Crown

The first reported foals for G1 Platinum Jubilee S. hero Naval Crown (GB) have arrived, Darley Europe announced.

A chestnut colt out of A Touch Of Luck (Ger) (Frankel {GB}) arrived this week. He was bred by Robert Draper. His second dam is G1 Preis der Diana third Aigrette Garzette (Ire) (Peintre Celebre).

Another new arrival was a colt out of Thaleia (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) from the extended family of multiple group winner Endless Drama (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). David Ryan of Kilfrush Stud said the colt had “size, scope and bone, a really good foal.”

A bay filly was born on Feb. 2 and bred by Gerrardstown House Stud. She is out of Fleur de Lui (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and was described by Donie Fahy as having “good size and scope. Very correct filly with a lovely head.” She is a relative of the Group 1 winner The Revenant (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Two other fillies have also been reported so far–a daughter of Golden Angel (Ire) (War Command) who arrived in late January at Hawes Stud and a filly out of Iffa Red (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) bred by Kilweelran, Ltd. Michael Gaffney described the former as “a fine, big foal with good bone. She has loads of quality and great action.”

The son of Dubawi (Ire) stands at Darley's Kildangan Stud in Ireland for €10,000.

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