Exciting colt remains unbeaten

Australia’s reigning Champion stallion Exceed And Excel has commenced this racing season in the same dominant fashion he ended last season. Exciting colt Safeguard remained unbeaten with a tough first-up win in the G3 Vain Stakes over 1100m at Caulfield August 17, in the process becoming Exceed And Excel’s second Group winner for a season which is just two weeks old.

Settling on the back of the leaders in the early stages, jockey Kerrin McEvoy allowed Safeguard to stride up three-wide turning for home. He assumed control at the 200m mark and held off all challengers in the final 50m to record a fighting victory.

Safeguard is now unbeaten in three starts with his two wins as a two-year-old coming at Flemington on debut before winning the G3 Kindergarten Stakes over the Sydney Autumn carnival.

A homebred for Darley, Safeguard is out of G1-winning two-year-old Preserve, who fittingly is a granddaughter of Vain. Preserve is also a half-sister to G1 winner and Darley stallion Denman. Denman’s first crop of two-year-olds will make their highly anticipated debuts on the racetrack in the next couple of months.

The only remaining 2013 nomination in Exceed And Excel, who is standing this season at Kelvinside at a fee of $88,000 inc. GST, will be auctioned online at www.darley.com.au/bidforglory from Wednesday, with the auction concluding at 4pm on Friday.

Denman is also standing this season at Kelvinside at a fee of $27,500 inc. GST.