Another juvenile G1 quinella for Exceed And Excel

Exceed And Excel continued his dominance of feature two-year-old races around the world, siring the quinella in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield February 22, with unbeaten filly Earthquake defeating her paternal half-brother Jabali in a thrilling race.

Amazingly, last year Exceed And Excel also sired the quinella in Australia’s other G1 feature for juveniles, the Golden Slipper, when Overreach defeated Sidestep. Adding to today's remarkable achievement was that in third was Cornrow, the first foal of Stakes winning Exceed And Excel mare Baby Corn.

Despite drawing horribly in barrier 15, Earthquake was still sent out favourite in the Blue Diamond and did not let her supporters down, peeling off the leader’s backs at the top of the straight and sprinting clear to record a one-and-a-half length triumph over a gutsy Jabali.

A home bred for Darley, Earthquake is the fifth foal to race and fifth winner for Stakes-placed Marauding mare Cataclysm. Earthquake’s three-quarter sister by Commands is the talented Stakes winner Palomares.

Exceed And Excel’s first G1 winner was Reward For Effort in the 2009 Blue Diamond Stakes. Today, Earthquake became his second Blue Diamond winner and his eighth G1 winner in total and she will now aim to become the first horse since Sepoy to claim the coveted Blue Diamond-Golden Slipper double.

Exceed And Excel will be represented by 12 yearlings at the Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale beginning Sunday week. Click here to view their pedigrees.