Classy Exceedance daughter Pure Excess galloped out of maiden company and into the headlines when she got up for a heartstopping last stride victory over the favourite, in the G3 WA Champions Fillies Stakes on opening day of The Pinnacles carnival at Ascot.
She had to beat the best filly in the state to do it!
The Dan Morton trained Pure Excess had never been unplaced in her four starts, and her three year old season had begun with two unlucky third placings, the second of those in the Listed Burgess Queen Stakes 1400m to Playin’it Sweet (Playing God).
Playin’it Sweet did not contest the Champion Fillies, with connections reserving the brilliant youngster for shorter races at this stage- but the Burgess Queen runner up did.
That was none other than last season's Champion 2YO Talkanco (I'm All The Talk), and punters sent her out as the hottest of favourites for the G3 1600m feature.
The Pearce stable's star had returned to racing in blistering form and was clearly looking for the distance at this stage of her glittering career.
But stepping up to the mile was just what Pure Excess was waiting for as well.
Fourteen runners contested the Champion Fillies in 2025 and the mounting yard was full of cracking types on the way up looking to upset the favourite.
They included the pacy Ourgirlcanrun (Long Leaf) and the Grant and Alana Williams trained Moonwalk (Bondi), who both had some market support.
The stablemate of Pure Excess Riva Aquarama (Star Turn), Neville Parnham's Masmelo (Maschino), Silent Diva (Alabama Express) and Fine Star (Fierce Impact) were all well bred, promising types who would seem well suited by rising in distance.
When the field jumped Willie Pike on Moonwalk who had drawn low got out very smartly, while Brad Parnham and Talkanco also began well.
Ourgirlcanrun and Holly Watson pushed forward aggressively as expected, with roughies Pure Silver (D'Argento) and Pony Up (Dirty Work) also pressing on.
The speed was on in no uncertain measure in the early stages! Riva Aquarama was caught a bit wide trying to find a spot while Pure Excess was back in the second half of the field and Masmelo went back to last as they strung right out.
At the 1000m Pure Silver was out in front by three lengths and bowling along with her ears pricked.
Ourgirlcanrun had let her go and dropped into second. Riva Aquarama had done a bit of work to now sit in third with Moonwalk getting a perfect run on the rail, fourth inside Pony Up.
Talkanco was in cruise mode behind them with Pure Excess following her, looking to make a three wide move. Fine Star had always been back near last and Masmelo was still watching it all unfold in front of her!
The Champion Fillies field thundered past the 500m and Pure Silver's lead had been cut to under a length by Ourgirlcanrun who was challenging strongly. Riva Aquarama was tracking into it with intent and Moonwalk on her inside had room to come through if good enough.
Meanwhile Talkanco had swept around the field as they entered the straight and the favourite was travelling ominously with Pure Excess right in her slipstream.
Ourgirlcanrun hit the front halfway down the straight but Talkanco powered straight past her!
100m to go and Talkanco was a length and a half in front - but Pure Excess was out after her with giant strides. Pure Excess drove at Talkanco in the shadows of the post with Brad Parnham on the favourite throwing everything at the filly who responded gallantly as the crowd roared their encouragement.
They hit the line - photo! Pure Excess had the momentum, Talkanco tried to get her head down but the daughter of Exceedance had been too strong! She beat Talkanco by a nose.
Fierce Impact (Jpn ) filly Fine Star flew home for third looking every inch a future Oaks contender with a brave Riva Aquarama holding fourth after her tough run and Ourgirlcanrun was fifth.
It was a second Champion Fillies Stakes for Dan Morton after his Savabeel filly Samovare saluted in 2016
“She's been training beautifully, I was so confident, she's the real deal - she is very good” said the winning trainer, whose stable has hit a hot streak of form at just the right time," he said.
“She was chasing down a very good horse but I just had trust in her that she'd get there - even though it was the barest of margins!
"Super effort, and great for Oakland Park stud - they are huge supporters of ours, and its nice to get a big one for them."
Dan was asked about the options going forward for Pure Excess - back her up into the WA Guineas next week, or wait three weeks and take on all comers in the G1 WFA Northerly Stakes over 1800m?
“I’d probably rather go three weeks with a filly,” Morton replied.
“I'll have that discussion with Neville (Duncan) but that’s probably something I'd like to do”.
Jockey Steve Parnham was celebrating his first winning ride in the Champion Fillies since 2002, when he piloted the memorable Superior Star to victory.
“It’s been great the way it's all unfolded. She's a talented filly and was unlucky in the Burgess Queen - she really would have made her presence felt if she'd got some room there," he said.
"I was really confident that she'd be hard to beat in this, knowing that she'd have to meet Talkanco 4kg worse today - but I just felt like my horse would be getting the mile strong.
"I just needed to execute the ride well. It didn't go perfectly to plan, she was a bit difficult in the gates and got out a bit scrambly. I had three deep cover but they kept pressing and that left me exposed, but I had the one to beat just where I wanted it.
"Maybe halfway up the straight I wasn't sure, but she really knuckled down and her effort late was really good.”
Pure Excess advances her record to a win and four placings from five starts for earnings of $204,360.
She becomes the fifth stakes winner for Exceedance and his second this season, with his quality 4yo mare Dance To The Boom a recent 1400m G3 winner at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day.
With just three crops racing, the exciting G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winning son of Exceed And Excel has also sired dual G3 winning juvenile Dublin Down and the well named Flyer (G3 winner and twice G3 placed at two and three)
His son Swiftfalcon is a Listed winner and has two G1 thirds in the Rosehill and Randwick Guineas amongst his collection of stakes race placings.
Exceed The Planet, Swiftie Harriet, Exceed The Boom and Express Class are all stakes placed and looking to add further black type to their records in due course.
Exceedance stands at Vinery Stud in NSW and was the first foal of the five times winning Thorn Park mare Bonnie Mac, a half sister to G3 winners Upham (HK Basic Trilogy) and Intimate Moment, and to Listed winner Gold Rum among five winners from six to race for the stakes placed Gold Brose mare Gold Class.
She has been a fantastic producer! The full brother to Exceedance, Oxley Road was a G2 winning sprinter and placed in a G1 Oakleigh Plate, while daughter Mac'N'Cheese (Sebring) is a dual Listed winner in South Australia.
The North American damline of Exceedance goes back to Behaving Lady (Ambehaving) a stakes winner and multiple stakes producer.
Pure Excess has a most interesting pedigree and back story.
Her dam Pure Purity was bred in Ontario,Canada and was picked up as a six year old for US $35,000 by Cherrybrook Farm when she went through the ring at the 2019 Fasig Tipton Kentucky Mixed Winter Sale.
Pure Purity had retired stakes placed and was a half sister to two stakes winners, yet she was donated to the sale by her owner James Keogh - with all proceeds of her auction to be gifted to a US charity which supports research into the degenerative condition Parkinson's Disease.
By the Irish bred, US G1 Keeneland Turf Stakes winning Sadler's Wells stallion Perfect Soul (who has been a particularly excellent broodmare sire), Pure Purity’s dam was Ritta by Rizzi (Afleet) a producer of three stakes winners, and a full sister to stakes winning sprinter miler Rich Celebration.
Her stakes placed dam Cup Of Cheers (Raise A Cup) produced six winners and was out of Child Of Fate by Promised Land, another prolific winner producer - her best runner the stakes winning juvenile Tickled Fancy.
This female line certainly excels at getting a horse that knows where the winning post is and we saw that trait on full display with Pure Excess!
It is the immediate family of Hollywood Oaks winner Baby Alice (branch of 4-m) going back to the American Blue Hen Red And Blue, dam of HOTY Whisk Broom II and daughter of American studbook matriarch Maggie BB from whom descend countless influential individuals on the track and in the stud.
Pure Excess is the third foal, but first to race from Pure Purity, who found her way to Australia and was offered by Vinery (as agent) in foal to Exceedance at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale where she was snapped up by Belmont Bloodstock for $140,000.
The mare is now a resident at WA's Oakland Park Stud and her daughter Pure Excess races in the famous silks carried by Northerly and so many great horses the famed nursery has bred - gold with a black Maltese cross.
Unfortunately, Pure Purity has slipped to her last three coverings by Blue Point, Ole Kirk and Ingratiating - so for now at least, her talented daughter will fly the family flag solo.
Pure Excess is bred
Northern Dancer 5m,5m x 4m
She is extensively linebred to Raise A Native through his sons Mr Prospector (and his relative Lomond), Exclusive Native and Raise A Cup.
Duplication of Blue Hens Natalma and Somethingroyal also play a prominent role - and in further removes this pedigree features layer upon layer of patterns which duplicate almost every key genetic player in the North American studbook.
This is obviously a breeding approach which finds favour with Exceedance, as indeed it did with his great sire Exceed And Excel.
Exceedance has served his fifth book of mares this Spring at Vinery Stud where he stands on a fee of $33,000
