Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday August 15

The tragedy of the death of Elusive Quality’s Group 1 AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Camarilla after just four foals was felt last year when her only two filly foals produced stakes-winners.

Camarilla’s champion daughter Guelph (Exceed And Excel) is the dam of Eureka Thoroughbreds new recruit Encryption (Lonhro) who won the Group II VRC Danehill Stakes and the Group III CRC Black Opal Stakes.

While Guelph’s half-sister, the More Than Ready (USA) mare Dazzler, could not match the deeds of the 4-time Group 1 winner on the track, she was not without ability winning her first two starts at Geelong and Flemington in an 11-start career.

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Dazzler was quick of the mark as a broodmare with her first foal Coruscate (Exceed Abd Excel) a 4-time winner and placed in the Group II ATC Skyline Stakes and Group III ATC Pago Pago Stakes.

Last season Coruscate’s full-brother Bivouac played his part in Exceed And Excel having his best season with his two-year-olds since Magic Millions 2yo Classic winner Le Chef earned him his second juvenile sire’s title in 2014-15.


The James Cummings-trained colt won the Listed Lonhro Plate at Warwick Farm in February before a luckless fourth in the Group II Todman Stakes at Randwick won by Yes Yes Yes (Rubick), which saw him miss a start in the Golden Slipper.

He found a consolation in the Group III Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) at Randwick.

In what may well turn out to be the form race of the season, Bivouac dashed clear at the 250 metres to defeat the strong finishing debutant Libertini (I Am Invincible) by two lengths with the favourite Athiri (Lonhro) a half-neck back in third. Fourth-placed Stronger (Not A Single Doubt) went on to win the Group III Ken Russell Classic at his next start.

Bivouac was done for the season but after a four-month break he makes his 3yo debut in Saturday’s Group III Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

The three-quarter brother to Guelph faces off against a field that includes the Group II BRC Champagne Classic and Group III ATC Breeders' Plate winner Dubious (Not A Single Doubt) who was just in front of Bivouac when third in the Todman Stakes.


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