The first race of Dubai World Cup night fell to Heavy Metal when he made all the running to easily win the G2 Godolphin Mile. The high-class son of Exceed And Excel has been in tremendous form this season, winning the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 and the G3 Firebreak Stakes on the Meydan dirt, and given a perfect front-running ride by Ryan Moore he easily won by two lengths from Dubawi's son Muntazah.
Winning his 15th career race, Heavy Metal also won the G2 Richmond Stakes as a two-year-old when in training with Mark Johnston and the G3 Burj Nahaar last season.
Heavy Metal is out of the South African-bred dam Rock Opera, a Champion juvenile filly in her native land. She has bred three winners so far including Night Castle, a three-year-old Dubawi colt who has won twice for Charlie Appleby this month. Rock Opera also has a yearling colt by Shamardal.
Exceed And Excel is the world’s leading source of juvenile winners, Stakes horses and Stakes winners. He again had another exceptional season in Europe in 2017, siring twice as many juvenile sprint Stakes winners as any other stallion. His four scorers were headed by G2 Lowther heroine Threading and G2 Mill Reef winner James Garfield.
