The consistent Aquitaine announced herself as a filly with a bright future as she became the 171st Stakes winner for her sire Exceed And Excel.
Aquitaine’s victory in Saturday’s Listed Mick Dittman Plate at Eagle Farm was the fourth in her nine-start career, and by far her best.
After beginning quickly, jockey James Orman committed himself to a three-wide journey outside the leaders, but the toughness of the run had no effect on the result as Aquitaine strode to a three-length lead at the 150m.
Eased down at the finish, she safely held off the runner-up Iced with Niedorp in third place.
said he had no hesitation going forward and racing wide.
“She felt so strong underneath me that I was confident to be wherever she felt comfortable,” he said.
Aquitaine is out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Thalia, a daughter of the winning Elusive Quality mare Melpomene and a half-sister to the Stakes-winning Darley bred Calliope.
Exceed And Excel will stand the coming southern hemisphere breeding season at Kelvinside, NSW at a service fee of $132,000, including GST.
