Buratino the real deal for Exceed And Excel

Exceed And Excel, already renowned as an outstanding sire of juveniles, looks to have another very smart colt in the making following an emphatic victory for Buratino in the six-furlong Woodcote Stakes on Derby Day at Epsom.

Although slowly away under William Buick, the Mark Johnston-trained colt was soon in touch and once asked for his effort, absolutely skipped clear and ran on superbly to win by no few than six lengths.

This was his third career victory, having won impressively on his debut back in March before winning at HQ last month en route to a second place in the Listed National Stakes at Sandown on 28 May.

A Darley homebred, Buratino is out of the Stakes-placed Kingmambo mare Bergamask, herself a daughter of Danehill Dancer’s half-sister Adonesque.

Exceed And Excel is now sire of 14 individual Stakes winners this year, including today’s G2 Queensland Guineas winner Jabali. Last month he took his tally of G1 winners into double figures when Flamberge landed the Darley Goodwood Handicap.