Last-stride win gives Isaurian victory in Listed Chief De Beers Handicap

Doomben success gives Exceed And Excel 158th Stakes winner

A desperate late lunge earned Isaurian victory in Saturday’s Listed Chief De Beers Handicap at Doomben and made him the 158th Stakes winner for his sire Exceed And Excel.

The winner of four races before his latest success, Isaurian seemed unlikely to pull back the leader Straturbo until the final stride in the 1,110m race, scoring by a nose from Straturbo with In Good Time in third place.

The Godolphin owned colt Isaurian is a son of the Elusive Quality mare Byzantine and a brother to the G3 winner Ottoman.

Byzantine is a half-sister Mummify, whose four G1 wins included the Caulfield Cup, Singapore Airlines Cup, Yalumba Stakes and South Australian Derby.