Champion sire Exceed and Excel delivered the quinella in the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday with talented colt Exceedance turning the tables on Bivouac to score a very valuable win in the Vinery stud colours.
Prepared by Team Hawkes, Exceedance beat Bivouac when resuming from a spell in the Group III ATC San Domenico Stakes before placing behind the same colt and Everest winner Yes Yes Yes in the Group II ATC Run to the Rose and then the Group I ATC Golden Rose.
On this occasion, Bivouac looked set to win, but Exceedance finished hard from back in the field for Dwayne Dunn to overhaul his archrival and win by a neck with top class I Am Invincible filly Libertini in third place.
"We had a game plan before the race. We knew we were only going to win it late,” said Dunn.
"I saw the back of Libertini and Bivouac and I thought they were the right horses to take me where I needed to go. I got on the back of them."
The Group I win has made Exceedance a very valuable stallion of the future for Vinery Stud.
"It is great to be with Team Hawkes, the stallion making stable it is and it's great to be involved with Vinery Stud with Peter Orton and his team,” Dunn said.
"Johnny Hawkes, he gives you so much confidence. They all expect you to do your best. It is great when everything comes together.
"We work hard with the babies and we're here to try and make stallions.”
Lightly raced at two with just a couple of starts in minor races, Exceedance has blossomed this spring and has the overall record of three wins and three placings from six starts with prizemoney in excess of $1.1million.
A $180,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Vinery Stud from the Newgate Farm draft, Exceedance runs for a big syndicate of Hawkes stable clients including Vinery Stud in whose colours he runs.
He was bred by Nick Vass and foaled and raised at Newgate. He is the first living foal of stakes-winning Thorn Park mare Bonnie Mac, a half-sister to three stakes winners, the Group III winners Upham and Intimate Moment as well as stakes-winner Gold Rum.
Allam Racing/Andrew Williams Bloodstock purchased Bonnie Mac, in foal to Golden Slipper winner Capitalist, for $375,000 out of the Newgate consignment at this year's Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
She has a two year-old colt by Exceed and Excel, which made $125,000 at the Magic Millions this year when offered by Newgate.
Bonnie Mac has a yearling Sebring filly and has foaled this spring producing a colt by Golden Slipper winner Capitalist.
Exceedance is the 14th Group I winner for Darley’s champion sire Exceed and Excel, who stands at a fee of $88,000.
