Red letter day
Kulgrinda topped off a red-letter day for her sire Exceed And Excel, leading home a Darley-sired quinella in the G3 R N Irwin Stakes over 1100m at Morphettville, April 13.
Already a three-time Listed winner, the victory was Kulgrinda’s first Group race success, the five-year-old mare prevailing in a tight finish over Strategic mare Platelet.
Following the earlier successes of Guelph in the G1 ATC Sires’ Produce and Safeguard in the G3 Kindergarten Stakes, Kulgrinda rounded off a Group race treble on the day for Australia’s leading sire Exceed And Excel.
A homebred for David and Jenny Moodie, Kulgrinda is from the family of G1 Oakleigh Plate winner River Dove and G2-winning Commands gelding First Command. She is now the winner of nine races and over $500,000 in prizemoney.
Exceed And Excel, who now holds a commanding lead at the top of the leading sires’ table, is the sire of 26 Group winners including Darley’s triple G1 winner Helmet and this season’s G1 winning two-year-old fillies Overreach and Guelph.