Juvenile Stakes double for Exceed And Excel

A Stakes winner on debut at Listed level during the Spring, two-year-old Exceed And Excel colt Kuroshio produced a gutsy effort to record his second Stakes victory from just four starts, winning the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) at Caulfield on 9 February, in Australia.

Settling wide in the run, the Kerrin McEvoy ridden colt was produced as the field rounded the turn, holding off the late charge of The Bowler who came along the rail to challenge the eventual winner.

Bred by Darley, Kuroshio is out of the American-bred Gone West mare Arctic Drift, the dam of G3 winner Believe’n’succeed, whose Stakes success came in the fillies version of the Blue Diamond Prelude of her juvenile year.

Arctic Drift has a yearling colt by Medaglia d'Oro and was covered by Exceed And Excel’s G1-winning son Helmet in the latest breeding season.

The very next race on the Caulfield card, saw fellow Exceed And Excel filly Guelph lead home a Darley-sired one-two finish when she defeated New Approach two-year-old Montsegur in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (F).

Becoming the 60th Stakes winner for her sire, Guelph assured herself a start in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes in two weeks time, a race that Kuroshio could possibly head towards as well.

Also bred by Darley, Guelph is out of the G1-winning daughter of Elusive Quality in Camarilla, herself a daughter of the G1-winning Danehill mare Camarena. Camarilla has a yearling by Shamardal as well as a weanling by Street Cry.

The old saying "history repeats itself" is very much the case here, as Camarilla was also an impressive winner of this very same G3 event of her juvenile season before progressing onto the Blue Diamond at her next start.

The sire of 60 Stakes winners internationally including G1 winners Helemet, Excelebration, Reward For Effort and Margot Did, Exceed And Excel is standing the current breeding season at Dalham Hall at a fee of £35,000, while his triple G1-winning son Helmet is standing his debut season at €10,000.