Exceed And Excel Colt Makes Winning Debut in Canonbury Stakes

Mark Smith - Saturday February 2

Sent off an odds-on favourite off the back of a couple of barrier trial wins, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained McLaren looked the consummate professional on debut in Saturday's Group III Canonbury Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens.

McLarenJames McDonald settled the son of Exceed And Excel just off the pace set by Exceed The Star before taking control at the 300 metres to safely hold the determined finish of the $750,000 Redoute's Choice colt Spring Loaded by three-quarters of a length with the Wandjina colt Deep Chill one and three-quarter lengths back in third.

"It's good to get it done but there's a lot of room for improvement there," Peter Snowden said.

"What I did like he began well and when it looked like he might start to go too keenly he came back off. I'm glad James gave him the opportunity to do that and he did it well, which is a big plus.

"He's only a young horse having his first start, you can't do any more than win and he did that well today.

"What we do now depends on the horse. We will see how he comes through the run.

"He's not a gross horse and he might need a bit more of this to get him to settle but he's an exciting colt. What he does at home is really, really good. I've only let him go once and that was enough for me to see what he can do.

Snowden praised McLaren's (image Stave Hart) powerful army of owners that includes Newgate Farm, China Horse Club and Winstar Farm.

Advertisement

"It's a big tick for them too. They put a lot into it. If you can get one that's all you need. If it's the right one, they are home," Snowden concluded.

A $380,000 purchase by China Horse Club/Newgate/Winstar out of the Baramul Stud draft at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, McLaren is a half-brother to the Group III Maribyrnong Plate runner Cao Cao (Fastnet Rock).

His dam Serenada, a 4-time winning daughter of Encosta de Lago, is a half-sister to Group II Caulfield Sprint winner and Group 1 WRC Telegraph Handicap runner-up First Command), as well as the star Hong Kong Sprinter One World (Danehill Dancer) a Group II winner and multiple Group 1, placed.

Serenada's dam River Serenade (Hurricane Sky) is a sister to the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate heroine River Dove who is the dam of Group II Silver Slipper Stakes winner and young Vinery stallion Headwater, who like McLaren is a son of Exceed And Excel.

Serenada had a Snitzel filly last spring after her colt foal by that stallion had died after birth the previous year. She was bred back to Snitzel last year.

McLaren becomes the 154th stakes-winner for Darley Stud's trailblazing reverse shuttler Exceed And Excel who covered 76 mares last spring at a fee of $82,500.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Impressive First Winner for St Marks Basilica
Coolmore shuttler St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) was the 2021 European Horse of the Year and the son of Siyouni is on the board as a sire with his first winner after Rogue Supremacy scored an impressive debut victory.
Pencarrow Stud hits a hundred winners in stellar season
Pencarrow Stud has celebrated an outstanding achievement with a century of homebred winners for the season.
$1500 Weanling Becomes $525,000 Top Lot at MM National Yearling Finale
A colt by Harry Angel set a new benchmark in Australia for his sire and topped the final day of the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale when selling for $525,000 to conclude a hugely successful two weeks of sales.
Exceed And Excel's Athelric Rewarded for Consistency
It was a 1-3 for Godolphin in Saturday’s Listed Queensland Day Stakes (1200m) for three-year-olds at Eagle Farm.
Sires With Winners - Monday June 2
Here is the full list of 40 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
G3 Fred Best Showdown for Quality Colts – Rosemont vs Yulong
The rescheduled $300,000 Group III BRC Fred Best Classic (1350m) brings stakes racing to a Wednesday this week with a field of 17 to go around at Doomben and at the head of the market is a pair of quality colts.
Almanzor Colt Wins G2 Italian Derby
Wootton Bassett sired the winner of the Group I Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) on Sunday in Camille Pissarro and then overnight his champion Cambridge Stud based son Almanzor (Fr) produced the winner of the Group II Derby Italiano (2200m).
Best On Breeding
Placed behind subsequent Melbourne Cup heroine Empire Rose in the New Zealand Oaks, Eau D'Etoile (Sir Tristram) became that rarest of broodmares with three Group 1 winners and a Listed stakes-winner to her credit on the way to earning Broodmare Of The Year status and that should have been her crowning achievement.
Pride of Jenni to Visit I Am Invincible - Match Made in Heaven
Three-time Champion Sire I Am Invincible has been confirmed as the first mating for reigning Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year Pride Of Jenni, who will head to the breeding barn this season following a phenomenal racing career.
In-Demand Stallions Feature in NZB Weanling Sale Catalogue
The catalogue for the 2025 NZB National Weanling Sale features the progeny of a broad range of sires, from proven topliners to exciting up-and-comers as well as the brand-new kid on the block, Profondo.