Exceed And Excel has been making a great impression with his first crop of runners in Australia and the young Darley stallion kept up his winning ways on 2 February, recording his fifth individual winner when Special Mention made a winning debut at Newcastle.
Sent off as favourite, the Grahame Begg-trained colt took the 900m contest by half a length from Free Dive.
A $205,000 Magic Millions yearling, Special Mention is the first foal from Thong Special, herself a half-sister to G3 winner Demographic and from the family of multiple G1 winners Special and Bomber Bill.
On another successful Saturday for the Darley stallions, Acoustical, a three-year-old daughter of Red Ransom, gained her first Black type win when landing the G3 Troikas Stakes at Turffontein in South Africa. Bred in Australia by Kia Ora Stud, Acoustical is out of the Gone West mare Blagdon - herself a three-parts sister to Zafonic.
Also on Saturday, Pleasantsundaygirl (Cape Cross) took second in the G3 Vanity, run over 1400m at Flemington. Sircross, also by Cape Cross, added further Black type to his CV when third in the G3 Waikato Guineas at Te Rapa in New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Fantastic Light sired his second Group winner inside a fortnight when his three-year-old son Playwright landed the G3 Hayes Stakes at Flemington
