3 minute read
Exceed And Excel was making yet more headline at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, with Gerald Ryan and David Raphael going to $1 million for the Edinburgh Park-consigned yearling.
It was not long until Exceed And Excel (Danehill) was making yet more headline at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, with Gerald Ryan and David Raphael going to $1 million for the Edinburgh Park-consigned yearling.
Commenting on his thoughts about the price, Ryan said: "It's a nice round figure, it has a nice ring to it. We looked at him on Saturday we thought deadset he was one of the colts of the sale.
"Lovely athletic great moving colt, I've sat back and waited for him and that's why we haven't bought any others along the way. I thought he was a really nice horse, a great athlete."
The colt, who was catalogued as Lot 784, is out of six-time winner Smokin' Alice (Smoke Glacken), whose stakes-placed daughter Eleven Eleven (Fastnet Rock) will line up in today's Magic Millions 3YO Classic (RL, 1400m) at the Gold Coast.
Smokin' Alice herself is out of American Listed winner Darling Alice (Northern Flagship) and is a half-sister to the dam of Argentinian Listed winners Endrygol (Evolutionist) and Piacenza (League Of Nations).
"His two brothers go well," Ryan continued. "Eleven Eleven goes around tomorrow in the 3YO Classic and the two-year-old has had one start for a Listed placing, and he looks as if he would be a horse that would be back here next year."
Ryan admitted to going way over budget for the colt, but was happy to do so after missing out on filly he wanted earlier in the session.
"We probably went twice as much on our budget in terms of what we had him at originally," he said. "As the sale went on, and we got closer, I missed out on a filly I really liked today, and when I missed out on her, I put all my focus on him.
"Exceed, every year, he gets a good horse doesn't he? This guy has got a stallion's pedigree and if he can come back and win a Magic Millions. He would be a cheap horse."
It was a night for celebrating for Edinburgh Park's Ian Smith, who had never sold a $1 million yearling before, with the closest they got to seven figures was when selling Bull Point (Fastnet Rock) for $960,000 at the 2012 edition of the Gold Coast sale.
"We went close one year with Bull Point one year and today we finally got to a million which is another mountain climbed," Smith said.
"We went and sourced those mares in America and we have a whole heap back at home and they are in foal to the best stallions in the country. This is proof right here that this is what what the market wants."
Smith was also quick to praise Exceed And Excel, who has enjoyed an excellent week at the sales.
"He's a fantastic stallion. We've got three mares at home in foal to him and, value for money, he's the best stallion in the country,' he said.