Thermal Current Back to Best

Tara Madgwick - Thursday November 8
Eight year-old Exceed and Excel gelding Thermal Current had not won a race since February 2017, but ended the drought in style at Flemington on Oaks Day with a dazzling last to first win in the Listed VRC Absolut Stakes (1000m).



Prepared by Darren Weir and ridden by Craig Williams, Thermal Current had been racing consistently and rediscovered his best form to fly home from last under a cold ride from Craig Williams to snatch a narrow win.

Thermal Current on the left in lime green - images Grant Courtney"I did push the button extremely late, but he really flew when I asked him," said Williams.

A homebred for Contract Racing, Thermal Current has the overall record of eight wins and 15 placings from 53 starts with prizemoney in excess of $800,000.

"You have to do everything right on this horse to win and he(Craig) did it," said Darren Weir.

"He has to be ridden really quiet, so he can relax and show that sharp turn of foot."

Thermal Current is out of stakes-winner Soaressa, a half-sister to Group I winner Eagle Way and stakes-winners Assertive Eagle and Impressive Eagle.

Soaressa has a yearling filly by Exceed and Excel and had a colt this spring by Astern.

Thermal Current is the fourth stakes-winner this season for Darley's champion sire Exceed and Excel and continues a great run of success over the Flemington Carnival for the Darley sires.

Advertisment
More Reading...
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.
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.
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.
Kiwi Bred Grey Wins Subzero for OTI at Flemington
New Zealand-bred gelding Cloudland proved a handful for James McDonald at Flemington on Tuesday, but the champion jockey was in a forgiving mood after they had claimed top honours in the Subzero Handicap.
$1.8 Million Exceed and Excel Colt from G1 Winner Platelet
A protracted bidding duel marked the sale of Lot 640, a powerhouse colt by Exceed and Excel from dual Group I winning sprinter Platelet with Hawkes Racing prevailing over a persistent Coolmore.
A New Benchmark for Edinburgh Stud
An emotional Ian Smith watched on as bidding reached $1 million for Edinburgh Stud’s stunning Exceed And Excel colt out of the Smoke Glacken mare Smokin’ Alice (USA) to set a new benchmark for the stud.
15th G1 Winner for Exceed and Excel
Turning 20 this year, Darley’s champion sire Exceed and Excel has just finished a super successful Magic Millions Sale that saw him with 24 yearlings average $398,542 to be the third leading sire by average and in South Africa on Saturday he posted a 15th Group I winner.
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.
Best On Breeding
Placed behind subsequent Melbourne Cup heroine Empire Rose in the New Zealand Oaks, Eau D'Etoile (Sir Tristram) became that rarest of broodmares with three Group 1 winners and a Listed stakes-winner to her credit on the way to earning Broodmare Of The Year status and that should have been her crowning achievement.
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.