First Stakes Win for Exceed And Excel's Aquitaine

Mark Smith - Saturday June 6

Pushed along by James Oarman to hold a forward position early, Godolphin’s consistent Exceed And Excel filly Aquitaine did the right thing by punters in Saturday’s Listed Mick Dittman Plate (1000m) at Eagle Farm.

The sparingly raced, James Cummings-trained, filly kept up a strong gallop in the straight to defeat the Better Than Ready gelding Iced by three-quarters of a length with the Not A Single Doubt filly  Niedorp a half-head back in third.

Advertisement

Oarman picked up the ride on Aquitaine when Larry Cassidy was injured.

"I was trying to get a nap in when my manager kept calling me, “ Oarman said.

“Eventually I picked up thinking this better be good and when he told me about the ride it was, very keen to jump aboard.

"Things didn't work out in the run. I was stuck three-wide on the speed, there was no point easing him back so I just tried to get her to relax and i knew I was on the best horse in the race a long way out.”

Godolphin travelling foreman Nacim Dilmi said the daughter of Exceed And Excel deserved the win after placing in stakes company at her past two starts.Exceed And Excel (Mark Smith)

"She's a big powerhouse this filly, struts around with a real presence about her, she was in great condition for today and raced accordingly,” Dilmi said.

"I've got to give a special mention to the staff at home who not only got her here in great order but have done a lot of work with her in the barriers where she used to play up. Without them she wouldn't be winning a race like this.

"The plan was to either sit behind or just in front of Niedorp, we got stuck three wide but the horse always travelled like she was going to win.

"I love bringing these horses up to Brisbane, if Godolphin ever opens up a Brisbane stable I'll be the first to put my hand up."

A three-quarter sister to the Group II ATC Magic Night Stakes and Listed Gimcrack stakes winner Calliope, Aquitaine is the only winner to date out of the stakes-placed Medaglia d’Oro mare Thalia whose stakes-placed dam Melpomene is a daughter of the Group 1 VRC Oaks heroine Bulla Borghese.

Thalia has a 2yo filly and a weanling coly by Exceed And Excel.

Aquitaine becomes the 171st stakes-winner for Darley’s flagship stallion Exceed And Excel who will stand at a fee of $132,000 in 2020.

Advertisment

Race Result - Nuturf Mick Dittman Plate LR 1000m

Eagle Farm Track: Good(3) Time: 0:56.16
1
Aquitaine
- 3f Exceed And Excel (AUS) x Thalia (AUS) (Medaglia D'Oro (USA))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: James Orman 55
2
0.8
Iced
- 3g Better Than Ready (AUS) x On Ice Now (AUS) (Red Dazzler (AUS))
Tnr: Ms J Crompton Rdr: Ryan Maloney 57
3
0.9
Niedorp
- 3f Not A Single Doubt (AUS) x Black Tulip (AUS) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Baylee Nothdurft 55
4
1.4
Howwonderfullifeis
- 3f Your Song (AUS) x Red Hot Chillies (AUS) (Red Ransom (USA))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: J Byrne 55
5
2.1
Sugar Boom
- 3f Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Acupuncture (NZ) (Pins (AUS))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Ms S Thornton 55
6
2.3
Kalik
- 3g Champions Gallery (GB) x Nuskee (NZ) (Pentire (GB))
Tnr: Tony Haydon Rdr: B N Stewart 57
7
2.5
Better Reflection
- 3f Better Than Ready (AUS) x Miraposa (AUS) (Canny Lad (AUS))
Tnr: J T Wigginton Rdr: R Wiggins 55
8
2.7
Bold Style
- 3g Whittington (AUS) x Showellen (AUS) (Show A Heart (AUS))
Tnr: G K Taylor Rdr: M R Du Plessis 57
9
4.5
Say Haya
- 3f Rothesay (AUS) x Unica Bahaya (AUS) (Piccolo (GB))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: A Mallyon 55
10
4.9
Seatonic
- 3f Sebring (AUS) x Sistonic (AUS) (Bel Esprit (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: M Cahill 55
11
9.1
Sukwhinder
- 3f Delago Deluxe (AUS) x Danagall (NZ) (Chagall (AUS))
Tnr: Michael Costa Rdr: A Chau 55
More Reading...
$1.65million NZB Ready to Run Sale-Topper Ready for Debut
There’s plenty of anticipation ahead of regally-bred colt Hostility’s raceday debut at Matamata on Wednesday.
Sires With Winners - Monday March 10
Here is the full list of 39 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
I Am Invincible Colt Ready for G2 Goal
Well-related colt Tardelli will make a return trip to Wellington in his bid to add a black-type victory to his burgeoning record.
Holbrook BOBS Eligible Trio for MM Adelaide
Julie Harris of Holbrook Thoroughbreds is taking just three youngsters across to the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale and they all hold interest with two by Hellbent and Castelvecchio and the third is from a stakes-winning daughter of Fastnet Rock.
Golden Slipper Order of Entry Updated
The Golden Slipper picture is cloudier than ever after last weekend’s key races with five horses now exempt from ballot and boom colt Wodeton is just into the field, but vulnerable to possible latecomers from the Group III ATC Pago Pago Stakes and Magic Night Stakes to be run this Saturday.
It’s Time to Get Cracking
A lot of attention is paid to the first season sires table, but it’s the second season when things get really interesting for a lot of sires as we saw at this time last year when The Autumn Sun took off like a rocket and with four stallions in this cohort already siring G1 winners this season we’re taking a closer look at these guys.
Fiorente Gets His 2 Mile Cup Winner - Half By A Slipper Winner at Easter
Melbourne Cup hero Fiorente has finally, a bit poetically and a bit sadly, sired a two-mile Cup winner and you can buy the half-brother at Inglis Easter by a Golden Slipper winner.
Twin Hills Head to MM Adelaide
Olly Tait and his team at Twin Hills Stud are headed next to South Australia for the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale next week with a select draft of seven that includes a filly by So You Think and two youngsters by his young sire son Peltzer, who stands at the Cootamundra based nursery.
Entries Open for 2025 National Weanling Sale
Entries for NZB’s 2025 National Weanling Sale are now open, with the Sale set to be held at the Karaka Sales Centre on Thursday 26 June.
Te Akau Champions Day Stars to Spell
Ellerslie’s inaugural Champions Day was a memorable one for New Zealand’s leading stable, Te Akau Racing, with their tangerine and blue silks taking out two of the major prizes.