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Exceed And Excel Forging a Lasting Legacy

Mark Smith - Sunday June 2

When Darley Stud's flagship stallion Exceed And Excel returns from his tour of duty at Kildangan Stud in Ireland to cover his 16th book of mares at Kelvinside, he lands with an all-conquering reputation as a broodmare sire and an emerging reputation as a sire of sires.

The win of Anthony Van Dyck in Saturday's Derby at Epsom credits Exceed And Excels daughter Believe'N'succeed with her second winner at the highest level after Bounding (Lonhro) captured the Group 1 win in the ARC Railway Stakes.

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But she wasn't the first daughter of Exceed And Excel to achieve the rare feat of leaving two Group 1 winners.


That honour falls to Essaouira, the dam of Astern (Medaglia d'Oro) and Alizee (Sepoy).

Exceed And Excel's grand producing daughter Prompt is the dam of Group 1 winner Prompt Response and another daughter Riptide is responsible for the 2019 New Zealand Derby winner Crown Prosecutor.

So, Anthony Van Dyck is not a first Derby winner out of an Exceed And Excel mare nor is he the first Group 1 winner in the northern hemisphere.

He was beaten to the punch by the No Nay Never (USA) colt Ten Sovereigns whose undefeated run at two last season culminated in success in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Ten Sovereigns dam Seeking Solace was a winner at Saint-Cloud for Andre Fabre and runner-up in the Listed Prix De La Seine at Longchamp.

A full-brother to Ten Sovereigns was purchased by MV Magnier for 600,000 guineas at Tattersalls last year.

Exceed And Excel's 4-time Group 1 winning daughter Guelph is the dam of the Group II VRC Danehill Stakes winner Encryption (Lonhro) who looks an inspired choice to stand alongside Spirit Of Boom at Eureka Stud.

Another Queensland nursery, Telemon Thoroughbreds, stands the Exceed And Excel stallion Sidestep, Australia's Champion First Season Sire in waiting, whose daughter Kiamichi went one better than her father in the Golden Slipper.

Sidestep also recently celebrated his first stakes-winner in Europe.

While he holds a commanding lead for first season sire honours, another son of Exceed and Excel, Safeguard, clocks in seventh place after making a pleasing start in the west.


There is plenty to look too in the future with Exceed And Excel's sons Headwater (image Mark Smith ) and Outreach being well supported at Vinery and Widden respectively.

And that's not forgetting Chatswood Stud's Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes hero Reward For Effort, a real backbone of the industry in Victoria, who has passed over 100 winners for the season, making him the seventh most prolific sire in the nation for individual winners.

There is still plenty of life left in Exceed And Excel. His 2yo son Exceedance looks a star in the making and another son 2yo of Exceed And Excel, Microphone, is already there.

The Godolphin homebred has staked an undeniable claim for Champion 2yo honours with wins in the Group 1 ATC Sires' Produce Stakes, Group II ATC Skyline Stakes and Listed VRC Talindert Stakes while he was runner-up in the Golden Slipper, swelling the Godolphin coffers by $1,588,600.

Microphone is one of nine stakes-winners by Exceed And Excel in Australia this season, while in Hong Kong his outstanding son Mr Stunning captured The Longines Hong Kong Sprint.

The last chapter is yet written on history's most successful reverse shuttler who has done much to advance the breed worldwide.


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