Helmet dominates

Exceed And Excel’s dual G1 winning son Helmet demolished the opposition with a record-breaking victory in the G3 Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Having raced in second place to the home turn Helmet powered away under hands and heels from Kerrin McEvoy to score by three-and-a-quarter lengths in the new class-record time of 1:21.40. Nadeem’s Stakes winning son Specter was closing late on for an excellent third.

Bred by Darley Australia, Helmet is a half-brother to Elusive Quality's G3 winner Bullbars. He is from the Singspiel mare Accessories, in turn a half-sister to G2 winner Pozarica. Accessories has a yearling colt by Commands named Epaulettes, and a filly weanling by Street Cry.

Helmet has now won five of his eight starts, placing in the other three and his earnings now total $894,800

“He bounced perfect, he travelled good off a hot speed, he relaxed and then quickened into his stride,” trainer Peter Snowden said. “I think today was only a touch of what the horses ability truly is.”

The G1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in two weeks time is next for Helmet. “He has to really prove it next start and if he can win next start we will think about it [Cox Plate],” Snowden said. “At the moment I am just thinking about the Guineas in two weeks time.

Exceed And Excel has enjoyed a tremendous 2011 with four individual G1 winners, these include his three-year-old son Excelebration who continued his superb season with his first win at the highest level taking the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in Paris recently and the flying filly Margot Did, who won the Nunthorpe Stakes last month at York, United Kingdom. In total the dual G1-winning Champion sprinter has sired 17 Stakes winners in 2011.

Exceed And Excel stands at Darley Kelvinside where his fee in 2011 is $66,000 (inc GST)