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Exceed And Excels James Garfield Claims Mill Reef Stakes

Mark Smith - Sunday September 24

Following a narrow defeat in the Group III Acomb Stakes at York, Exceed And Excel's James Garfield went one better in the Group II Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury.

Carrying the colours of his breeder Bill Gredley, James Garfield defeated the favourite Invincible Army (Invincible Spirit) by three-quarters of a length with Nebo (Kodiac) a half-length back in third.

With just one unplaced run in six starts, James Garfield has had a comparatively busy season but it's not over yet.

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A first Group win for trainer George Scott, James Garfield will now head to America for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.


It's been some week for Scott following his marriage to Gredley's daughter.

"We went away for a couple of days in Majorca, but we are going on a proper honeymoon in January. I got married a week ago today so it has been a pretty amazing week," Scott told Sporting Life.

"He has danced every dance this year and has been unlucky on several occasions. He has shown it over five, six and seven furlongs now, so he is a pretty versatile horse. He has improved physically the whole time and I am slightly lost for words really.

"It was all pretty smooth for Frankie (Dettori). He said he was where he wanted to be, although he lost his position, he had plenty of horse and hit the line great - it was dream stuff really.

"We will go to the Breeders' Cup now. The Breeders' Cup has always been the race we've been wanting to go to.

"Exceed and Excel's have always gone great out there, he has got tactical speed and he will get a tight mile. Since he sat on him at York, Frankie has always been keen to go to the Breeders' Cup. If he ran in the first four here, that was the plan.

"He has made hay this year. People might think he is just a two-year-old, but he has grown and strengthened and put on plenty of condition. There is no reason why he can't keep progressing.

"I would imagine he would go for a seven-furlong trial (next year), then we have the two options, we can either go up to a mile or come back to six for the Commonwealth Cup."

A half-brother to the stakes-placed The Shrew, James Garfield is the best of four winners out of the stakes-winning Daylami mare Whazzat who hails from the family of Invincible Spirit  as well as star 2YO sire Kodiac and Coolmore's young gun sire Pride of Dubai, who covered 158 mares in Ireland this year.

Whazzat has a 2017 colt by Darley stallion Golden Horn.

James Garfield becomes the 137th stakes winner for Darley Stud's Exceed And Excel who is currently working his way through his 14th book of mares at Kelvinside where he stands at a fee of $110,000.

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