Stakes Double for Exceed and Excel

Tara Madgwick - Sunday February 5

Darley’s champion sire Exceed and Excel had a two hemisphere stakes double on Saturday with talented two year-old Zulfiqar winning the Group III MRC Chairman’s Stakes at Sandown, while in the UK progressive mare Manaafith landed her first Black Type win in the Listed Tandridge Stakes (1m) at Lingfield.

A Shadwell homebred trained by Roger Varian, Manaafith powered clear to win by a length and three-quarters taking her overall record to six wins from eight starts.

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Manaafith had a wind operation earlier in her career, but is now in great form reeling off three successive wins in December, January and now February.

She is the best of two winners from winning Dubawi mare Almashooqa, whose dam is a half-sister to US Group I winner Summer Colony.

Exceed and Excel

Manaafith is the 206th stakes-winner worldwide for Exceed and Excel, who will turn 23 this year.

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