Exceed And Excel Blueblood Claims First Stakes

Mark Smith - Saturday June 8

Everything finally fell into place for the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Signore Fox in Saturday's Listed Daybreak Lover Plate (1200m) at Eagle Farm.

Given a cosy run back in the field by James McDonald as the favourite Plague Stone was hung out three wide the trip from an outside barrier, Signore Fox tracked into the race under a minimum of urging and when the favourite was putting up the white flag 300 metres out, Signore Fox pounced.

Advertisement

The son of Exceed And Excel kept up a strong gallop to defeat the well-supported Shamus Award filly Malahide by one and a half lengths with the Smart Missile filly Ready to Prophet staying on well for third after making the early running.



Co-trainer Peter Snowden said the son of Exceed And Excel may have earned a spell.

"We'll probably have a break now, this is a great way to finish his prep with some black type form and we'll bring him back in the spring.

"He's a horse that's going to keep improving. He's been plagued by bad barriers and wet tracks. It was good to see him find his right race today.

"James (McDonald) gave him every possible with the ride, he had no excuses so it was very pleasing to see him put them away like he did."

Coming off a solid finishing, though non-threating, seventh behind the promising Military Zone in the Group III Fred Best Classic at Eagle Farm on May 25, Signore Fox advances his record to 5 wins and 2 seconds from 17 starts with earnings of $276,910.

Purchased by Snowden Racing for $300,000 out of the Coolmore Stud draft at the 2017 Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Signore Fox (pictured as a yearling) is a half-brother to the Horse of the Year in South Africa in 2017-18 and the Champion 3YO Filly and Middle Distance Horse in South Africa in 2017-18, Oh Susannah (Street Cry) whose five wins included four Group 1's.

They are two of four winners out of the top-class American mare Sharp Susan (USA), which also include the stakes-placed Indiano Jones (AP Indy).

A daughter of the 1997 Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold, Sharp Susan was the winner of six in races in North America including the Grade II Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga and was Grade 1-placed in the Garden City Stakes at Belmont.

She is a half-sister to Grade 1 Donn Handicap winner Spring At Last (Silver Deputy) and the multiple Grade II winner and Grade 1-placed Sharp Lisa (Dixieland Band) who is the dam of Galileo's 2017 Group 1 The Metropolitan winner, Foundry.

Purchased for $2,000,000 in the US on behalf of Paul Fleming in 2008, Sharp Susan (USA) was sold by Tyreel Stud at the 2012 Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale, where she was knocked down to Badgers Bloodstock on behalf of Gaynor Rupert's Drakenstein Stud for $1,050,000.

Sharp Susan's last Australian bred foal before being exported to South Africa is a 2yo filly by Fastnet Rock named Fast Susan.

Signore Fox becomes the 159th stakes-winner for Darley Stud's flagship stallion Exceed And Excel.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Super Seth 3YO Salutes for Baker
A tenacious front-running performance in Saturday’s A$160,000 Captivant @ Kia Ora Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill added a first city victory to Puntin’s burgeoning record.
Another Aussie SW Sourced from Aga Khan Studs
When Australian investors buy tried horses out of Europe from Aga Khan Studs they know they are getting quality, but the good ones don’t come cheap with Elamaz (IRE) sourced from their draft at the Arqana Arc Sale last year for €480,000.
Almanzor Stayer wins G3 Tattersalls Cup
It's been a long time since the  2022 Victoria Derby and some may have wondered whether the winner Manzoice was ever going to win again!
Better Than Ready’s Metalart Wins Group 3 W J Healy Stakes
Improving off a third in the Listed Lightning Handicap at Eagle Farm recently, 4yo Better Than Ready gelding Metalart stepped up to 1200m to record his first black type success, winning the Group 3 W J Healy Stakes.
Sires With Winners - Saturday June 28
Here is the full list of 109 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Miss Joelene Achieves Millionaire Status
This time last year, Miss Joelene was highlighting herself as one to watch for the future, having placed in the Group 2 The Roses and the Group 1 Queensland Oaks, and after a few runs behind the outstanding Antino (Redwood) this time in, a class drop on Saturday saw her record victory in the $200,000 Listed BRC Tattersall’s Gold Crown (2100m) at Eagle Farm.
$1.8 Million Exceed and Excel Colt from G1 Winner Platelet
A protracted bidding duel marked the sale of Lot 640, a powerhouse colt by Exceed and Excel from dual Group I winning sprinter Platelet with Hawkes Racing prevailing over a persistent Coolmore.
A New Benchmark for Edinburgh Stud
An emotional Ian Smith watched on as bidding reached $1 million for Edinburgh Stud’s stunning Exceed And Excel colt out of the Smoke Glacken mare Smokin’ Alice (USA) to set a new benchmark for the stud.
15th G1 Winner for Exceed and Excel
Turning 20 this year, Darley’s champion sire Exceed and Excel has just finished a super successful Magic Millions Sale that saw him with 24 yearlings average $398,542 to be the third leading sire by average and in South Africa on Saturday he posted a 15th Group I winner.
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.