Excelette powers to victory in the Achilles Stakes

Exceed And Excel himself was a top-class sprinter and was crowned Champion Sprinter in Australia at three, and he is now well established as a sire of both precocious juveniles and outstanding speedsters.

On 1 June, his three-year-old daughter Excelette looked like another talented sprinter in the making, when clearly relishing the drop back to five furlongs to win the Listed Achilles Stakes at Haydock Park in fine style.

Always prominent, Bryan Smart’s charge was hard pressed close to home by eventual second and previous G3 winner Spirit Quartz, but battled gamely to hold off her opponent by a neck, with the third-placed Noble Storm a further three and a quarter lengths further back.

Bred by David Brown, Excelette is out of the unraced Mark Of Esteem mare Madam Ninette, herself a half-sister to King’s Stand winner Bolshoi.

Exceed And Excel is now sire of nine individual Stakes winners this year, including G3 winner Excelebration (last seen finishing second only to Frankel in the G1 Lockinge Stakes), and G1 Blue Diamond third Armed For Action.