Winning his maiden last start over 1479m, the Mick Price-trained Exceed And Excel colt Instinction proved too strong for Mahisara, winning the Listed Hilton Hotel Stakes over 1400m at Flemington.
Jumping away well from the inside gate, jockey Craig Newitt allowed the grey colt to sit just off the leaders and once the field rounded the home turn, he was produced for his effort, holding off all challengers to score by a head.
Trainer Mick Price indicated the colt would back up next Saturday in the G2 Sandown Guineas over 1600m, a race won last year by Domesday colt Pressday. Instinction will then spell and be aimed at the G1 Australian Guineas in March at Flemington.
Bred by Mr P. Katelanis of South Australia, Instinction is the first foal of the G2-winning Encosta de Lago mare De Lago Mist, and comes from the family of G1 winner Wanted, G2 winner Shrapnel and Listed winners In The Mist and Fragmentation.
The sire of 43 international Stakes winners, Exceed And Excel has been represented by two new Stakes winner in the last few days, the other being the Peter Snowden-trained first-starter Applegate who won the Listed Emirates Airline Plate over Flemington's 1000m course.
Standing the current breeding season at Darley’s Kelvinside property at a fee of $66,000 (inc. GST), Exceed And Excel has had a great season internationally through the deeds of G1 winners Helmet, Excelebration and Margot Did.
