Darley-sired 1-2 in G2 Royal Sovereign Stakes

Second G2 victory for Exceed And Excel colt Sidestep

Exceed And Excel colt Sidestep continued his brilliant Autumn form with a scintillating win over G1-winning Lonhro filly Bounding in the G2 Royal Sovereign Stakes over 1200m at Randwick, April 19.

A winner of the G2 Pago Pago Stakes and runner-up to Overreach in the G1 Golden Slipper as a juvenile, Sidestep was a last-start winner of the Listed Darby Munro Stakes. After missing the start and finding himself towards the rear of the field in the Royal Sovereign Stakes, jockey Kerrin McEvoy weaved his way through the field in the straight to collar Bounding on the line.

A homebred for Darley, Sidestep is a three-quarter brother to G1 winner and Darley stallion Skilled. Out of G2-winning Quest For Fame mare Dextrous, Sidestep is also a three-quarter brother to G1-placed Ambidexter.

The sire of nine G1 winners and 81 worldwide Stakes winners, Exceed And Excel had an exceptional Inglis Easter yearling sale where his progeny sold up to $1 million and averaged $284,312.