Reward For Effort landed the colts’ and geldings’ division of the Listed Blue Diamond Preview at Caulfield on Australia Day. The Exceed And Excel colt led home a Darley-sired one-two with a son of Commands, Rarefied, filling the runner-up slot.
Reward For Effort is out of the multiple Listed winner Miss Prospect, by Rory’s Jester, and he is a half brother to the Consular, who was runner-up in the G1 Stradbroke Handicap and won four Listed races, and the G3-placed Annie La Vie.
Second-placed Rarefied won on his last start at Caulfield and is a full-brother to G1 Oakleigh Plate G1 Doomben 10,000 winner Undue. He continued a bumper season for Commands, who was represented by an impressive winning debutant in Killian on Saturday at Sandown. Killian continues another successful family tradition as he is a full-brother to Stakes winner Rio Osa. Their dam, the G1 VRC Sires’ Produce winner Preserve, has a full-sister to this duo at foot and is in foal to Exceed And Excel.
In the Blue Diamond Preview for fillies, which also holds Listed status, Exceed And Excel was also responsible for one of the place-getters, the Lee Freedman-trained Baby Corn, who was third.
