Champion first-season sire elect Exceed And Excel was much admired by breeders at the Darley stallion parade in Newmarket last week and rightly so, as he has made an explosive start to his stud career in Australia and Europe. This was the last chance for his European fans to take a look at the handsome son of Danehill before he makes his journey back to Aberdeen, where he will stand for a fee of $110,000, for the southern hemisphere breeding season.
His success in Australia has been well documented: 14 individual winners to date and ten Stakes performers, including the G3 winners Wilander, Believe’n’succeed and Exceedingly Good. His most recent black type earner came on Saturday when previous winner Very Discreet ran second in the Listed Dequetteville Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville.
In the UK, Night Seed became his ninth individual winner on Friday evening when scoring at Chepstow. Her exploits, along with the Royal Ascot Listed winner Flashmans Papers and G2 runner-up Spin Cycle, have helped keep their sire at the head of the British and Irish first-season sires’ table by prize-money won. His fellow Darley stallion Kheleyf, who stands at Kildangan Stud in Ireland, is the leader by individual winners (16).
Strategic (pictured) had a hat-trick of winners on Saturday, notably the two-year-old Aichi, who is now two from two on racecourse performances. The smart youngster runs in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed and won over 1250m at Canterbury. He is the first foal of the Quest For Fame mare Nagoya, who was herself a juvenile winner.
Strategic stands at Cootamundra for $16,500, all fees include GST and are payable on a live foal (conditions apply).
