News

Exceed And Excel Claims European Sire Title

18th Jan 2010

Racing And Sports - Brian Russell - Tuesday, 19 January 2010

Former champion Australian sprinter Exceed And Excel has taken out a leading European sire title.

The 2002-03 champion Australasian sprinter has been crowned Europe's leading second crop sire by money and most stakes winners.

The Hunter Valley-based son of Danehill reverse shuttles between Dalham Hall Stud at Newmarket in England.

In 2009 in Europe he produced 67 winners (five SWs, 27 2YOs) of 95 races for earnings of $A2.3million.

His nearest rivals on the second crop table are Storm Cat's son One Cool Cat (73 winners, four SWs,,112 wins, $2.19 million) and NZ-based Elusive City (Elusive Quality with 44 winners (2 SWs), 69 wins and $2.02 million.

The second year success of Exceed And Excel follows on from the impact with made his first juveniles in 2008 when he kicked off with 25 winners, including three successful in stakes races.

Exceed And Excel has also done very well with his first two Australian crops.

He was Leading First Crop Sire for 2007-08 with13 winners and $1.1 million, leading by winners, wins, SWs (five) and money.

It was a notbable start to his career as he was also fifth on earnings and equal first by SWs on the main juvenile list.

He went on to dominate the 2008-09 Australian second crop statistics, achieving 65 winners (eight SWs,19 2YOs), 83 wins and $3.38 million. He was second leading juvenile sire behind More Than Ready.

Exceed And Excel's success in Europe has surpassed the great NZ-bred thoroughbred Carbine.

The legendary champion nudged the European Champion Sire title in 1906, principally through his greatest son, Spearmint.

Spearmint had only five starts and recorded two big wins at three in a space of 11 days in the English Derby and Grand Prix de Paris in France at his final start.

Carbine, who won 33 races including the Melbourne Cup under 65.7 kg and two Sydney Cups, was shipped to England at the age of 10 in1895 after leaving behind some very good gallopers from small books in Australia.

He stood beside the immortal sire St Simon at the Duke of Portland's Welbeck Abbey Stud.

His influence was subtstantiated by the dicky legged Spearmint as two of the greatest matriarchs of the last century were his daughters Catnip, the second dam of breed shaper Nearco, and Plucky Liege, a mare who was the dam of four influential sires, Bois Roussel, Sir Galahad, Bull Dog and Admiral Drake.

Spearmint also left a big mark through his son Spion Kop, another English Derby winner who had one of his sons name changed from The Bastard to The Buzzard when imported to Queensland.

He became a great sire with his runners including Melbourne Cup winners Rainbird and Old Rowley.

Also brought to Australia was Spearhead, another son of Spearmint, who sired 1926 Melbourne Cup winner Spearfelt, a leading racehorse and sire.

Spearfelt sired Melbourne Cup winner (Dark Felt) and Spear Chief, winner of the Brisbane Cup twice and the horse who ended Ajax's famous winning sequence in the Rawson Stakes at Rosehill.