Exceed And Excel retired from stud duty
In the week of the Group 1 that was Exceed And Excel’s biggest win as a racehorse, Darley on Wednesday announced that its champion sire had been retired from stallion duties.
The 23-year-old has been pensioned after putting together one of the great careers by an Australian stallion, having thrown 215 Stakes winners – 19 of them Group 1 winners – around the world and won champion sire titles in Australia and Hong Kong.
“I can’t overstate how great an influence he’s been on this stud and the entire Australian racing and breeding scene,” Darley Australia’s head of stallions Alastair Pulford said.
“As a very fast son of Danehill, who at that stage was highly recognised as an elite sire of sires, he was extremely popular from the word go.
“He became the leading sire of two-year-olds, but it wasn’t only two-year-olds, he ended up being a great sire of horses of all ages.
“He was just an amazing horse from day dot, and I have every confidence his sons at stud will do the same.”
Trained by Tim Martin, Exceed And Excel was taken to England after his win in the 2004 Newmarket Handicap but was retired after finishing down the track in the Group 1 July Cup, his 12th start in a career that netted seven wins.
Multiple Group 1 winners Bivouac, Helmet, Guelph, Flamberge and September Run were among his Australian progeny, along with Golden Slipper winner Overreach and Blue Diamond winners Reward For Effort and Earthquake, while he shuttled to Europe for 16-straight seasons.
Among his Northern Hemisphere progeny was Excelebration, a three-time Group 1 winner and his highest-rated product under the Timeform scale with a peak rating of 133.
He has a chance to add another Newmarket Handicap win to his resume this weekend with Cylinder to contest the $1.5 million Group 1 sprint another of Exceed And Excel’s sons, Bivouac, won in 2020.
Exceed And Excel has also produced 14 mares who have given birth to Group 1 winners, which his progeny are responsible for almost $271 million in earnings.
More Racing News
Extragalactic's Flemington mission in McEwen Stakes
While many in the racing world will lament the closure of the old Moonee Valley track, trainer Trent Edmonds isn't lamenting the timing of its renovation.This Saturday marks the first Cox Plate meeting to be held away from 'The Valley', and Edmonds is set to be at Flemington with Extragalactic,...
Blind Raise's faith rewarded with Cox Plate start
Trent Busuttin is aware that if the primary goal was to secure a Group 1 victory, the more prudent strategy would be to send Blind Raise to Sydney for this Saturday's Spring Champion Stakes.Nevertheless, he also recognises that the type of opportunity that has arisen this year is not a...
Caulfield Cup fall victim Half Yours is back home and doing well
Good news has emerged regarding the riders involved in the Caulfield Cup, with the Victorian Jockeys Association reporting both have been discharged from hospital.Mark Zahra and Jye McNeil were transported to the Alfred Hospital after a dramatic fall during the Caulfield Cup on Saturday.The sequence of events saw Half Yours,...
Mr Brightside's Flemington Mile participation uncertain
The Lindsay Park training outfit, comprising Ben, Will, and J D Hayes, will hold off on confirming Mr Brightside's start at Flemington until the acceptance stage.Mr Brightside is expected to be nominated for the Group 2 Kia Ora Stud Mile (1600m) this Saturday, though Ben Hayes indicated he is only...
Warwoven's Cox Plate Prospects to be Decided by King's Ride
Melbourne's racing scene is abuzz as Sydney jockey Rachel King prepares to reunite with Warwoven for a crucial track gallop. This workout is designed to give the final go-ahead for the Bjorn Baker-trained colt's potential entry into the esteemed Cox Plate at Flemington.King, who celebrated a Caulfield Guineas victory aboard...
Infancy's The Invitation prospects while in foal
Dual stakes winner Infancy is eagerly awaiting a potential start in the $2 million The Invitation at Randwick, a race that could significantly boost her career accolades before she transitions to her role as a broodmare.The six-year-old mare has recently been served by the promising young sire Anamoe. Her trainer,...
Tempted claims The Everest crown in thrilling renewal
The tenth running of The Everest delivered a familiar outcome at the top but with a new champion crowned, as Tempted outdueled Ka Ying Rising before a record-breaking crowd of 52,110.For trainer Ciaron Maher, this victory represents his second success in The Everest, building on Bella Nipotina's triumph in 2024....
Autumn Glow's flawless Sydney spring culminates in King Charles triumph
Autumn Glow smoothly assumed the lead in the prestigious Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m) as the field turned for home, just as Ceolwulf began to mount a challenge.Trainer Chris Waller reportedly turned to jockey Darren Beadman and inquired, "Are we in trouble?" Beadman's swift reply was,...
Gavin Bedggood celebrates biggest win as Kingswood triumphs in Caulfield Cup
Trainer Gavin Bedggood has achieved his career-defining success with Kingswood winning the Caulfield Cup.The Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on Saturday was claimed by the UK-bred import Kingswood, marking Bedggood's most significant achievement, eclipsing his previous best in the 2024 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley.Bedggood, who was a proficient jumps...
Apocalyptic finds her best form in the Silver Eagle
While it was a supporting event on The Everest undercard, Apocalyptic's triumphant return to the winner's circle on Saturday was a considerable achievement for trainer Michael Freedman and jockey Tommy Berry.The mare, a Group 1 victor of last year's Flight Stakes, had been underperforming in the autumn and her initial...