Amber Sky making waves

Exceed And Excel's exciting son Amber Sky added to his growing reputation in Hong Kong when posting his third win from as many starts with a comfortable three and three-quarter length win in the aptly named Class 3 Gallop Handicap over 1000m at Sha Tin on June 24.

Ridden by Mark du Plessis, Amber Sky broke sharply and then proceeded to make all the running, coming home untroubled to defeat older horses and impress his jockey in the process.

"I hate saying this about horses - but that is the best two-year-old I have ever ridden," Du Plessis told the South China Morning Post. "I only had to give him one slap and he was lightning, he was straight on to the bridle and he was going that fast very, very easily.”

Bred by O E & D R Pope Pty Ltd in South Australia, Amber Sky is trained by Ricky Yiu, who purchased the gelding for $80,000 from the Rubiton Bloodstock draft at the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Amber Sky is the second foal of Truly Wicked, a G2 winner of the Mitsubishi Stakes at Moonee Valley.

Truly Wicked has a 2011 filly by Bernardini (USA) and a 2012 Lonhro colt. She visited Lonhro again in 2012.

Exceed And Excel is the leading Australian sire of two-year-olds by winners this season with 15, including three Stakes winners, headed by the Listed Queen Adelaide Stakes winner and G1 Blue Diamond Stakes third, Armed For Action. Across the Tasman his two-year-old son Excellent Reward is the recent winner of the Listed Castletown Stakes in New Zealand.

He will stand at Darley Kelvinside in 2012 at a fee of $66,000 including GST.