News

Black Caviar to visit Exceed And Excel

22nd Jul 2013

Thoroughbred News - Rob Burnet - Monday, 22 July 2013

It was announced on Monday evening that world champion sprinter Black Caviar will be mated with Darley’s champion sire Exceed And Excel for the 2013 southern breeding season.

Black Caviar was retired after winning her 25th straight race, the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes over 1200m at Randwick on April 13th, a race sponsored by Darley.

The rising seven-year-old mare by Bel Esprit, out of the Desert Sun mare Helsinge, was never beaten in her 25 race starts and was Head of the 2011 and 2012 World Thoroughbred Rankings (Sprint) and she still retains the title of the World’s Best Racehorse for the period December 1st, 2012 to July 14th, 2013 with a rating of 130.

She was the Horse of the Year in Australia in 2010/11 and 2011/12 and Champion Sprinter over the same seasons with similar accolades no doubt approaching for the 2012/13 season.

Exceed And Excel, by Danehill out of the Lomond mare Patrona, stands the Southern Hemisphere season at Darley’s Kelvinside property in the Hunter Valley, NSW, at a fee of $88,000, inc GST.

The dual Group 1 winner, including the VRC Newmarket Handicap over 1200m at Flemington like Black Caviar, has progressed to being a top-line dual hemisphere stallion with Group 1 winners including Excelebration (IRE), due to commence his first southern season at Coolmore; Helmet, sire standing at Darley; Reward For Effort, sire standing at Chatswood Stud, Vic; 2013 Golden Slipper winner Overreach; 2013 ATC Sires’ Produce and Champagne Stakes winner Guelph and 2011 Nunthorpe Stakes winner Margot Did (IRE).

Exceed And Excel will be the 2012/13 Australian leading sire with 267 runners, 140 winners, 17 stakeswinners and $11.2 million in progeny earnings.

Black Caviar’s half-brother by Redoute’s Choice, by Danehill, sold for $5 million at the 2013 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

Pedigree experts will not note Northern Dancer being prominent in Exceed And Excel’s pedigree on both sire and dam sides, as well as the being the third dam of Bel Esprit, along with the mating of speed on speed.