Exceed And Excel colt records barnstorming win

Three-year-old Exceed And Excel colt Sidestep, who won the G2 Pago Pago Stakes on the same day 12 months earlier, stormed home from the rear of the field to claim the Listed Darby Munro Stakes over 1100m at Rosehill, March 29.

The top-weight of 59kgs and a heavy track were not enough to dampen Sidestep’s brilliance, the attractive colt proving a class above his rivals.

Also runner-up in the G1 Golden Slipper behind Exceed And Excel filly Overreach last year, Sidestep is a homebred for Darley. He is out of G2 Sandown Guineas-winning Quest For Fame mare Dextrous, making him a three-quarter brother to G1 Champagne Stakes winner and Darley Northwood Park stallion Skilled and G1 performer Ambidexter.

The sire of 81 Stakes winners worldwide, Exceed And Excel has sired two winners of each of the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes, G1 Sires’ Produce and G1 Champagne Stakes and has Earthquake as a short-priced favourite aiming to give him his second G1 Golden Slipper winner next Saturday.

Exceed And Excel has 27 yearlings catalogued for next month’s Inglis Easter yearling sale. Click here to view their pedigrees.