Exceed And Excel’s G1 winner Excelebration returns in style

Excelebration, Exceed And Excel’s wonderfully consistent son, made the perfect start to his four-year-old season when cruising to victory in the G3 Gladness Stakes, run over seven furlongs at The Curragh on Sunday.

Sent off the odds-on favourite, Excelebration travelled smoothly throughout and once asked to quicken soon moved clear of his rivals and won by three and a quarter lengths.

Excelebration enjoyed an outstanding year in 2011 when trained by Marco Botti, winning the German 2,000 Guineas and G2 Hungerford Stakes en route to an emphatic victory in the G1 Prix du Moulin last September. Current trainer Aiden O’Brien indicated after the race that he will now head to next month’s G1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

Also on Sunday, Exceed And Excel took his tally of Black type winners to an impressive 46 on 22 April, when Alkhafif landed the Listed Chairman’s Trophy at Taipa in Macau.

Bred by Shadwell Stud, Alkhafif is from the family of Champion fillies Shadayid and Park Appeal – the latter being the dam of fellow Darley stallion Cape Cross.

Exceed And Excel is sire of 16 individual Group winners worldwide, four of whom have won at the highest level. This year he has sired nine Black type performers to date, including G1 Blue Diamond Stakes third Armed For Action and will stand the forthcoming season at Darley Kelvinside at a fee of $66,000 (inc GST).