The Weekly Wrap

A round up of all the action for the Darley stallions over the past week
Excelling in Dubai

Exceed And Excel has been enjoying an excellent season in Dubai and on Saturday, 17 February he sired a double at Meydan.

Despite his advancing years, Heavy Metal has been a revelation in 2018, winning the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 at the start of January before finding the extra distance of R2 just beyond him on his next start. Dropping in grade to the G3 Firebreak Stakes and down in trip to a mile, he had no problem getting back into the winner's enclosure, making all the running for a very easy nine-and-three-quarter length victory. His next start will likely be the G3 Burj Nahaar on Super Saturday, a race he won by over six lengths last season.

Later in the card, Yalta recorded his fourth career victory when easily winning a six-furlong handicap by five lengths off an official rating of 100. An excellent juvenile when winning the G3 Molecomb Stakes when under the tutelage of Mark Johnston, he showed far too much speed for his rivals and looks primed for a step back up into Stakes company.

Other classy winners for Exceed And Excel at the Carnival include Hit The Bid, who recorded a Timeform 122 when landing a five-furlong handicap, and Salsabeel, rated 119 after his easy mile handicap success.

The rise and rise of Dawn

The progeny of Dawn Approach have started 2018 in blistering form and on Saturday, he sired his third repeat winner of the year.

Nomorecalls, who broke his maiden at the start of the month, repeated his course and distance triumph at Lingfield when showing blistering pace to make all the running over five furlongs. Both victories have been by two and a half lengths and on each occasion he has beaten previous good winners. When the emphasis is on speed, he is one to follow over the coming months.

Dawn Approach has now sired the winners of eight races this season, more than any other European second-crop stallion. From only 19 individual runs, his strike rate of 42% is higher than any other stallion in the northern hemisphere (with 10+ runners).

He will go Farhh

The progeny of Farhh always promised to improve from two to three and Iconic Sunset looks like the perfect example of a horse getting better with age.

The winner of a Kempton maiden as a juvenile, he was making his first start of the season at Wolverhampton, lining up in a field of eight over nine and a half furlongs. Appreciating the strong pace, he loomed up on the bridle in the straight and only had to be nudged out to the line to win by six lengths. Recording a Timeform race rating of 89, this victory represented an improvement of 10lbs over anything he achieved at two.

Epaulette on top in Tasmania

Australasia’s yearling sales season moved onto Tasmania last week with a colt by Epaulette coming out on top.

Epaulette has made a tremendous start with his first juveniles in Australia, already siring three Stakes performers including G3 BJ McLachlan Stakes heroine Meryl and G3 filly River Bird. He had one second-crop son catalogued at the Magic Millions sale who topped the day at A$100,000, bought by Melbourne trainer Ellerton Zahra Racing. Consigned by Armindale Stud, he was out of the 11-time winner With Decorum.

Slade Power: first juveniles catching their trainers eye

European Champion sprinter Slade Power has his first runners in 2018 and initial trainer reports have been nothing but positive.

More details can be found here, with leading handlers Richard Fahey, Richard Spencer, Hugo Palmer, Charlie Johnston and Gordon Elliott waxing lyrical about what they have seen so far.

Slade Power, whose first-crop yearlings averaged €68,000 in 2017, has just started his fourth season at stud at a fee of €15,000 October 1, Special Live Foal.

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