Having not started for some 60 weeks, the Peter Moody-trained Exceed And Excel colt Reward For Effort resumed from an injury-enforced layoff to record an excellent victory in the Listed Sir Monash Stakes at Caulfield.
Winning the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes as a two-year-old at this very track, the now three-year-old colt jumped away from the gates with gusto, leading throughout to take the 1100m event by a short head from Keano and Royal Ida.
One of the most valuable colts in training, Reward For Effort has now won three races, all at Stakes level, from just five career starts and in excess of $800,000 in earnings.
Trainer Peter Moody indicated that Reward For Effort could be aimed at the G1 Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley in September.
''We'll give him two or three runs and that will give us the option of backing off him if we're happy with him and looking at the bigger sprints later in the carnival,'' he said.
Bred by David Moodie’s Contract Racing, Reward For Effort is out of the multiple Listed winner Miss Prospect, by Rory’s Jester, and is a half-brother to G1 runner-up Consular. Purchased from the Inglis Premier sale ring for $190,000, Reward For Effort is one of 14 southern hemisphere Stakes winners and 23 globally for his dual G1-winning sire.
Reward For Effort’s victory was one of four winners for the progeny of Darley stallions from the first six races, with another promising performance from Lonhro two-year-old Bretling who defeated Commands gelding Soul by just over a length.
Exceed And Excel has once again been enjoying stellar season with his juveniles, recording 14 individual two-year-old winners, which puts him second behind Redoute’s Choice.
Exceed And Excel will stand the upcoming breeding season at Kelvinside at a fee of $66,000 including GST.
