Sepoy and Exceed And Excel Strike in the Two Features as Racing Resumes in Ireland

Mark Smith - Tuesday June 9

It was a good day for two of Darley Stud’s reverse shuttlers, Sepoy and Exceed and Excel, who claimed the two feature stakes at Naas as racing resumed in Ireland on Monday.

The 3yo, Jessica Harrington-trained, Sepoy filly Punita Arora earned her first stakes success with a barnstorming finish in the Listed Kuroshio At Compass Stallions Committed Stakes.

After an indifferent start, Punita Arora, finished best under Shane Foley to defeat the Joseph O'Brien-trained Alligator Alley (Kingman) by a length with the Aiden O’Brien-trained Pistoletto (War Front) a half-length back in third.

Advertisement

A 41,000 guineas purchase by BBA Ireland at the 2018 Tattersalls December Yearling Sale, Punita Arora advances her record to 2 wins, 2 seconds and a third from 7 starts with earnings of €58,395.

“We have to thank Will Hayes for his work over the last couple of weeks because she's been very difficult in the stalls. She was still slow out of them but didn't rear today, which was the main thing,”  Harrington's daughter Kate told Irish Racing.Sepoy (Mark Smith)

“Shane always said he thought it'd really play into her hands the fact that they'd go hard because she loves following. We'll see what the owners want to do, but the Commonwealth Cup could be an option next week. We've always held her in high regard.

“She'll get confidence from the stalls from today and if she could iron that out, there could be a little more improvement hopefully.”

The daughter of Sepoy first runner out of winning Pivotal mare Wojha, who is a half-sister to Group III Fred Darling Stakes winner Muthabara (Red Ransom).

Wojha’s dam Hureya (USA) spent a few years in Australia. She was covered by Redoute’s Choice to northern hemisphere time before being repatriated to Europe.

The result of that union was the handy colt Maraheb who won races at Newmarket and Haydock before finishing his career in Dubai.

Punita Arora becomes the 17th stakes-winner for Sepoy who stands at Darley’s Northwood Park in Victoria in 2020 at a fee of $7,700.

Shane Foley was back in action one race later when he guided the 4yo Exceed And Excel gelding Sceptical to a three length romp in the Listed Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital Woodlands Stakes over five and a half furlongs.

After finishing third in a Dundalk maiden when on debut in October last year, Sceptical has reeled off four consecutive wins, all by big margins.

A bargain-basement 2,800 pound purchase just a few months before his debut last year, the Denis Hogan-trained gelding has now banked €50,477 and has some lofty goals.

“He’s a special horse and so easy to train,” Hogan told Irish Racing.

“I’m delighted for (owners) Jim Gough and James McAuley. They picked him out. Jim’s gutted he’s not here as he loves his racing, but he has a good horse and he’ll probably go to Ascot next week for the King’s Stand.

“He might be entered in the Diamond Jubilee as well and other than that there is the Greenlands. They are the three options at the moment.

“He’s the best horse by far that I’ve ever had. I saw him doing a bit of work at Charlie Swan’s last Tuesday. I’ve seen a lot of horses go up that gallop and I’ve never seen a horse go up it as quick and powerful.Exceed And Excel (Mark Smith)

“He’s exciting and the kid on his back is exciting as well. He was in the deep end there today and it didn’t faze him one bit. He said it was comfortable and there was still a bit of greenness there.

“He’d never been on grass before but I wasn’t worried as Dundalk is a quick surface and that is beautiful out there today. The ground staff deserve some credit through all the dry weather to produce good to firm safe ground with a brilliant cushion of grass.

“I’d say it will be the King’s Stand as he showed there that he has plenty of boot. That was a big step up in grade as he beat handicappers well the last day but he beat pattern horses well today.”

A half-brother to the Group III-placed Queen of Sicily (Cape Cross), Sceptical is the best of three winners out of the Group II Royal Ascot Queen Mary Stakes heroine Jealous Again (Trippi).

Sceptical becomes the 172nd stakes-winner for Darley Stud’s foundation stallion Exceed And Excel who will line up for his 17th season at Darley, Kelvinside at a fee of $132,000 when he returns from his tour of duty in Ireland.

 

Visit the profile page for Exceed And Excel

Exceed And Excel in upcoming sales:
Advertisment
More Reading...
Coolmore Announce Euro 2025 Fees
Coolmore have announced fees for their 20 strong European sire roster with three new additions City of Troy (Justify), Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact)and Henry Longfellow (Dubawi) and a significant increase for Wootton Bassett, who is currently in Australia.
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.
More Stakes Success for Air Assault
Group I placed last season in the SA Derby, talented gelding Air Assault kept the winning run going for Victoria Derby winning trainer Andrew Gluyas when taking out the Listed SAJC John Letts Cup (1800m) at Morphettville on Melbourne Cup Day.
Magic Nick Strikes Again – Fastnet Rock x Galileo
The Fastnet Rock x Galileo nick has been on fire in Melbourne this spring producing Cox Plate winner Via Sistina (IRE) and leading Melbourne Cup contender Buckaroo (GB) and it struck again overnight in the UK with a brand new stakes-winner in Military Academy, who captured the Listed Floodlit Stakes (1m4f) at Kempton.
Knights Choice a True Underdog Story
Punters were left stunned when the Queenslander Knight's Choice and Japanese visitor Warp Speed (JPN) emerged from the pack to fight out a dramatic finish to the $8,560,000 Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
Rosemont and Partners Stakes Quinella on Cup Day
Written Tycoon posted his second new stakes-winner on Melbourne Cup Day when promising three year-old gelding Catoggio took out the Listed VRC Amanda Elliot Stakes (1400m)  for Rosemont Stud and partners, who also race the second horse Bosustow.
El Vencedor wins G3 Balmerino Stakes
El Vencedor is making a habit of picking up major victories at Ellerslie, adding the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) to his burgeoning record at Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Day meeting.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
Melbourne Cup Winner for Extreme Choice – Rare Slice of History
This year’s $8.5million Group I VRC Melbourne Cup (3200m) produced a genuinely amazing fairytale result for the connections of five year-old Extreme Choice gelding Knight’s Choice, but part of that fairytale is his sire Extreme Choice, who has carved out something seriously special as being only the second sire in history to produce the winner of a Golden Slipper and a Melbourne Cup.
Antrim Coast to Fly Flag for The Oaks Stud
The well-renowned colours of The Oaks Stud will feature across two feature Trans-Tasman meetings this week, kicking off with Antrim Coast lining up in the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.