Invictus Salute turned in a performance that significantly raised both her standing and that of the foal she is carrying when she won the Listed Starlight Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday, 28 November.
The daughter of Exceed And Excel also became the 179th Stakes winner for her sire Exceed And Excel as she bravely fought off her rivals to score by a short neck from Spaceboy with Viridine (Poet's Voice) three-quarters of a length further back in third place.
In what is expected to be her final start, Invictus Salute took a trail behind the leader until issuing her challenge at the 200m and doing best in the run to the line.
The mare who was bred by Geoff Grimish, who raced her until her recent acquisition by Sledmere Stud, is named after the Invictus Games, an international event for injured and disabled military veterans that are championed by members of the Royal Family.
Her Rosehill win was the second in succession for Invictus Salute who won at Randwick in early November soon after having been served by I Am Invincible; this young cross to date has produced 12 runners for seven winners including two Stakes winners.
Not only are Exceed And Excel's progeny performing on to racetrack, but they're also proving themselves in the breeding barn. As a broodmare sire, Exceed And Excel has produced 646 winners and 20 Stakes winners including eight at G1 level: Astern, Crown Prosecutor, and Bonding to name a select few.
Exceed And Excel has just completed his latest southern hemisphere season at Kelvinside, NSW having called time on his reverse shuttling career, due to age, to the Darley Europe after celebrating 15 years of service.
