Exceed And Excel has done nothing but make headlines since his first runners hit the track last season and, with 12 Stakes winners to his name to date, his son Reward For Effort delivered his first win at Group One level when taking out the $1m Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. The result was sweetened further when the Swettenham Stud-bred filly Maka Ena, also by Exceed And Excel and racing in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed, ran home strongly for third,
Reward For Effort had already dropped a forceful hint on his racecourse debut when winning the Listed Blue Diamond Preview on Australia Day and the Peter Moody-trained colt followed this up with the runner-up slot in the Blue Diamond Prelude a fortnight ago. Bred by David Moodie’s Contract Racing in Victoria, 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.
Exceed And Excel is also the sire of Group Two winners Wilander and Infamous Angel, and Group Three winners Sugar Babe, Believe’n’succeed and Exceedingly Good.
Visitors to Rosehill were reminded of the talents of Darley stalwart Carnegie via the success of his offspring Tuesday Joy and Vision And Power. Tuesday Joy demonstrated that she was back to her dazzling best with a win in the G2 Apollo Stakes. Owner/breeder John Singleton of Strawberry Hill Stud indicated that the three-time Group One winner will be aimed next at the Chipping Norton Stakes before a possible trip to Dubai for an attack on the valuable Dubai Duty Free on World Cup night. In the longer term, France could also be on the great mare's itinerary, where she could bid to extend her family's great record in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, a race won by her sire and his dam Detroit.
Now six, the G J Chittick-bred Vision And Power won the Listed Parramatta Cup for his eighth career victory. He is out of the Centaine mare Escada and is a half-brother to the Listed-placed Escadaire. Dothis Dothat, by Commands, was runner-up in the Parramatta Cup, while his paternal half-brother Marching filled the same slot in the G3 Carlyon Cup, in which Playwright (Fantastic Light) took third.
At Cheltenham in South Australia, Cardinal Virtue became the latest Stakes winner for Elusive Quality when landing the Listed Redelva Stakes over 1000m. The three-year-old is a half-brother to G2 winners Media and Timbourina out of the Snippets mare Valourina and was bred by Twin Palms Stud.
To round off a tremendous day for Darley, Lonhro's exciting three-year-old John Hawkes-trained son O'Lonhro maintained his unbeaten record with an impressive victory at Rosehill.
