Marenko completes a Saturday Group double for Exceed And Excel

Promising filly lands the G3 Fred Darling stakes in convincing style

Exceed And Excel’s three-year-old daughter Marenko maintained her 100% record for this year in impressive fashion at Chelmsford, UK on 16 April when landing the G3 Fred Darling Stakes.

Always travelling well under Ryan Moore, the Richard Hannon-trained filly took up the running a furlong from home and kept to her task superbly to win by a length and a quarter.

Marenko broke her maiden by almost four lengths at Ascot last July before finishing third in the G3 Sweet Solera Stakes. She was then a close second in the G3 Prix du Calvados at Deauville and was beaten less than a length into second in the G2 May Hill Stakes at Doncaster. She opened her 2016 account with a win at Kempton earlier this month.

Marenko does not hold a 1,000 Guineas entry however she is clearly well regarded by her trainer, who cited the G1 Sun Chariot and G1 Falmouth Stakes as possible future targets for his charge.

A Cheveley Park Stud homebred, Marenko is out of the Stakes-placed Pivotal mare Safina, who has produced two Black type performers (both of whom are winners) from two foals to race. Safina is herself a daughter of the great racemare and four-time G1 winner Russian Rhythm.

Exceed And Excel has now sired 16 individual Black type performers so far this year, including Flamberge (who has added two further G1 victories to his record this year), plus G1 performer Morawij and Yattarna, who won a G3 contest at Randwick earlier today.