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Eximius shows his potential on final day of Flemington’s Melbourne Cup Carnival

10th Nov 2012

The four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington came to a close on Saturday, capping a successful week for the Victoria Racing Club which saw 31 Australian bred runners finish first past the post in their respective races.

23 of the 26 stakes races conducted at the famous racecourse over the last eight days were won by a horse carrying the AUS suffix, including Eximius (pictured) in today’s Listed VRC Hilton Hotel Stakes over 1400m.

The Flemington Carnival is the pinnacle of Spring racing in the region and this year it was the famous colours of Dato Tan Chin Nam that were carried to victory by the Bart Cummings trained Lunar Rise ($380,000 Easter) in the carnival’s opening event last Saturday November 3, the Group 3 Inglis Carbine Club Stakes (1600m).

The Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) won by Fiveandahalfstar ($20,000 Classic) later on Day One was the 60th Australian Group 1 event for three-year-olds won by an Inglis Sale graduate in the past 10 years.

In fact, 47% the Australian Group One races for three-year-olds conducted in the last ten years that were won by a horse offered at auction were won by an Inglis graduate.

Fawkner ($70,000 Premier) was one of only a handful of horses to compete twice during this year’s carnival. The Team Williams galloper won the Group 3 Tab.com.au Stakes (1400m) last Saturday before going down by the slightest margin in today’s Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m).

Other Inglis Select Yearling Sale graduates to win at stakes level over the Melbourne Cup Carnival include:-
Villa Verde ($95,000 Premier) – Listed 7News Plate, 1000m
Koonoomoo ($10,000 Premier) – Group 3 Herald Sun Stakes, 1400m
Unpretentious (P$58,000 Premier) – Listed MSS Security Sprint, 1200m
Shamal Wind ($55,000 Premier) – Listed Gucci Icons of Heritage Stakes, 1200m
Direct Charge ($105,000 Classic) – Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate, 1000m

The ninth Inglis yearling sale graduate to win at stakes-type level over the four-day carnival was Eximius ($100,000 2011 Premier, 3g Exceed And Excel-Allegra), which won the $150,000 Listed Hilton Hotel Stakes over 1400m on the final day.

The son of Exceed And Excel was a winner at Flemington in May, but this Saturday’s win at black-type level came as somewhat of a surprise to trainer Mick Price.

“The fact that he won surprised me to be honest because I think he is still a bit immature. It was a nice Listed race for (owners) Geoff and Jill Guest,” said Price.

Raced by the Rockmount Syndicate (Mgr: G D Guest, Mrs J Kewish & D Murphy) and Mrs L Richards, Eximius was purchased for $100,000 from the draft of Supreme Thoroughbreds at the 2011 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

Now that he has made the step into stakes company Price and the Guests are expected to aim higher with the three-year-old in the autumn.

“I just think he will be a better horse in the autumn because he is one of those high, nervous energy horses that needs to settle down,” Price added.

“I think he will get a mile in the autumn but it will be interesting to see what we do with him now because these black type races drop off now and his rating is going to be a bit higher so it might be a nice, opportune time to have a break when there’s beautiful weather and have him in the autumn.”

“He is a lovely, sound horse that will keep getting better as he gets older.”

Earlier today at Flemington fellow Inglis graduate Sertorius stamped himself as a stayer of the future when recording his fifth straight victory, this time by leading all the way in the $100,000 VRC Antler Luggage Handicap over 2000m.

“He is just a ripper of a horse and I’m just rapt to have a horse going this well over the carnival,” co-trainer Jamie Edwards said.

By Galileo from Encosta de Lago mare Pretty Penny, Sertorius was purchased as a yearling from the exact same sale as South Africa’s champion mare Igugu (by Galileo), the 2009 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

Signalling greater support for breeders of stayers the 2013 edition of Melbourne Premier will feature a new ‘Blue Riband’ session to complement the overall growth of the four-day sale.

As recently advised by Inglis’ Managing Director Mark Webster in his blog “Inglis will be actively encouraging the industry to support the home grown product via the Blue Riband session of the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale in 2013. This will be a session of 40-50 well-bred and conformed yearlings that we feel could perform in the Blue Riband events, and of course the cups.”

Mark Webster’s blog can be read HERE

The 2013 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale will be held over the four days of March 3 to 6 next year.

The 2013 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, featuring Black Caviar and All Too Hard’s half-brother, will be conducted at Newmarket in Sydney on April 9 to 11.

While the 2013 Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sale, the source of Victoria Derby winner Fiveandahalfstar, will be split over two books. The Summer Book on January 20 & 21 and the Winter Book on June 23.

All dates and information on the 2013 Inglis Select Yearling Sales Series can be found at www.inglis.com.au