On the eve of the 20th anniversary of Exceed And Excel’s G1 Newmarket Handicap victory, we announce with great admiration and appreciation his retirement from stallion duties on the Darley stallions’ roster.
Exceed And Excel retired from racing as the winner of seven races from 11 starts, six at Group level, including elite-level victories in the G1 Newmarket Handicap and G1 Dubai Racing Club Cup (Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes).
Alastair Pulford, Darley Australia’s Head of Stallions, has meticulously planned Exceed And Excel’s stud career since 2004.
“I can’t overstate how great an influence he’s been on this stud and the entire Australian racing and breeding scene,” Pulford enthused.
“As a very fast son of Danehill, who at that stage was highly recognised as an elite sire of sires, he was extremely popular from the word go.”
“He became the leading sire of two-year-olds, but it wasn’t only two-year-olds, he ended up being a great sire of horses of all ages.”
“He was just an amazing horse from day dot, and I have every confidence his sons at stud will do the same.”
- Champion Sire in Australia.
- Three-time Champion Sire in Hong Kong.
- Worldwide, the first sire to reach 500 juvenile winners.
- The only Australian-bred sire to achieve 200 Stakes winners, joining all-time greats Danehill, Galileo, Sadler’s Wells, More Than Ready, Deep Impact, and Dubawi.
- Sixteen consecutive shuttle seasons.
- The broodmare sire of 14 G1 winners.
- His sire sons include Bivouac, Exceedance, Microphone and Headwater.
- Progeny earnings of $270,816,673 for 1,804 winners and 215 Stakes winners.
Celebrating a two-decade breeding career of excellence, he retires sound and on his terms.
Exceed And Excel has and will continue to leave an indelible hoofprint on the racing and breeding worlds.