Stakes-Win for 2YO Exceed and Excel Colt

Tara Madgwick - Saturday November 18
Precocious youngster Al Hasa earned lavish praise from Opie Bosson following a spectacular display at Riccarton.

Al Hasa - Race ImagesThe handsome son of Exceed And Excel turned Saturday's Listed Barneswood Farm Welcome Stakes (1000m) into a procession and was hard held by the top jockey at the post.

"He's a top class horse, one of the nicest two-year-olds I've sat on for quite a while," Bosson said.

"He's a Karaka Million horse and maybe even the Golden Slipper."

The colt was offered at Karaka earlier this year by Cambridge Stud and Te Akau principal David Ellis went to $625,000 to secure the first foal of the Oasis Dream mare Oasis Rose, who finished runner-up behind Sacred Falls in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in 2012.

Al Hasa was quickly into stride to lead one off the fence and Bosson sat quietly until well into the straight.

"He had a good look around and he's only going to keep improving. Once I gave him a back hander he took off."

They coasted to the line six lengths clear of Thunder Bay, who edged Patsys Lass for second money.

Trained by Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards, Al Hasa had performed well at the trials before he made his debut last month at Ellerslie, where he bucked out of the gates before finishing runner-up.

Exceed and Excel"Things didn't go right at the start and he's improved since then," Richards said. "He worked nicely last Monday morning and travelled down here well.

"We'll take it one step at a time, it was a lovely win and he was really professional today.

"He can have a bit of time at Te Akau Stud now and then we'll get him ready for the Karaka Million."

Al Hasa is the 141st stakes-winner for Darley's champion sire Exceed and Excel.

He has a yearling full brother that is headed for the 2018 Magic Millions Yearling Sale and will be offered by Bhima Thoroughbreds as agent as Lot 142.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Better Than Ready's Port Lockroy Triumphs in G1 Railway Stakes
Interstate visitors have a poor winning record in the $1,500,000 Group 1 Swan Draught - Railway Stakes, but Port Lockroy played his part in squaring the ledger when choosing the perfect spot to end a run of bad luck in stakes races.
Kiwi Bred Comeback King Globe wins Cranbourne Cup
The super-talented Globe put a troubled 14 months behind him with a powerful all-the-way win in Saturday’s A$500,000 Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m).
Sires With Winners - Saturday November 23
Here is the full list of 117 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Barnstorming Win by Headwall in the Warra
The super-consistent Headwall reaped a just reward in the $300,000 Group III Snap Print Solutions Wollongong The Warra (1000m) at Kembla Grange.
Xtravagant Gelding Nadal Brilliant in Meteorite
Ciaron Maher has a stranglehold on pop-up and slot races and was back in the winner's circle again after the inaugural running of the $1,000,000 The Ladbrokes Meteorite (1200m) at Cranbourne.
Aussie Mare Youngstar Produces Exciting Japanese G3 Winner
Australian Group I winning half-sisters Youngstar and Funstar are both at stud in Japan and the former has a very smart two year-old colt in Eri King, who made it three wins from three starts when taking out the Group III Radio Nikkei Hai Kyoto Nissai Stakes (2000m) on Saturday.
Gringotts Continues Kiwi Winning Run in $1million The Gong
Kiwi bred Gringotts continued his coming-of-age campaign with a powerhouse front-running performance under 60kg to win Saturday’s Group III A$1 million The Illawarra Mercury Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange.
Another Feature Win for La Crique
La Crique sprouted wings in the Pukekohe straight on Saturday to come from a near-hopeless position and win the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) in a photo finish.
Storyville Downs the Colts in G2 WA Guineas
The WA Champion Fillies Stakes heroine Storyville earned a shot at the Group 1 Northerly Stakes after she gave the colts a start and beating in Saturday’s $500,000 Group II White Claw - WA Guineas (1600m) at Ascot.
Yes Yes Yes Filly wins $100,000 Crystal Slipper
The $100,000 WATC Magic Millions Crystal Slipper (1100m) at Ascot on Saturday drew a competitive field of 13 and Yes Yes Yes filly Yes Queen produced a brilliant performance to score a dominant debut victory.