Bivouac’s G1 Golden Rose win more than the average victory
The significance of a stallion like Exceed And Excel to both Darley stallions and the wider thoroughbred world probably didn’t need emphasis or endorsement prior to last week’s G1 Golden Rose.
But it got it anyway. And it could hardly have come in a more powerful or timely fashion.
Bivouac won the race earning himself one of best tickets to stud available in Australia and turning a Darley-Godolphin presence in the Golden Rose into a tradition.
Bivouac is Godolphin’s fifth winner of the race, following Denman (2009), Epaulette (2012), Exosphere (2015) and Astern (2016), all of whom subsequently stood as Darley stallions in Australia.
The Darley stallions supplied four of the eight runners in this year’s Golden Rose, with Bivouac and third placegetter Exceedance (Exceed And Excel), Dawn Passage (Dawn Approach) and Kubrick (Shooting To Win).
But there was another, vital aspect of the win.
Bivouac became Exceed And Excel’s 13th G1 winner, only one of which, Reward For Effort, is standing at stud in Australia.
"The fact that Bivouac is by Exceed And Excel is very exciting because we only have of his sons at the moment in Sidestep,” said Darley stallions Head of Sales Alastair Pulford.
"Obviously, he adds significantly to that and as strong and as influential as his sire Danehill has been, we have been missing out on that a little bit in the past couple of years.”
Godolphin has good reason to believe that another three-year-old son of Exceed And Excel is also on the way to becoming a worthy successor to his sire.
Microphone, who emerged from a vintage Godolphin juvenile crop last season as its leading member, is due to begin his three-year-old campaign in coming weeks and as a G1 winner already, he is bound to be sought-after.
The presence of Exceed And Excel and Darley on Golden Rose day wasn’t confined to the feature event.
Another son, Standout, who is a brother to Exceed And Excel’s G1 Golden Slipper winner Overreach, won the Listed Heritage Stakes while Ranier (Lonhro) also saluted.
Frosted yearlings in demand at Keeneland
Local breeders who have supported Godolphin’s US Champion Frosted will take heart from the prices paid for his first-crop yearlings at last month’s Keeneland September sale.
Billed as the most important yearling sale in the thoroughbred world, the September sale featured 44 Frosted yearlings who sold at an average price of US$227,841 (A$337,523) and a healthy median of US$207,500 (A$307,390)
Frosted’s figures sit well against a sale average of US$126,000 (A$186,656)
The top price for the Frosted yearlings was US$600,000 (A$888,840) with the son of Tapit finishing in 11th place on the overall averages for a sale at which more than 4,000 yearlings were catalogued.
Frosted is standing the current southern hemisphere season at Northwood Park stud in Victoria at a fee of A$27,500, including GST.
New-season juveniles showing good early ability
One of the more notable Darley-sired two-year-olds likely to be seen this season will be given an early opportunity to impress when he runs in Melbourne’s first juvenile feature on Saturday, 5 October.
Jerle, who steps out in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial at Flemington, is by Exceed And Excel from Shannara, a sister to Lonhro.
Trainer James Cummings reports that the colt possesses a “wonderful temperament and a great attitude.”
On the same day at Randwick, another Exceed And Excel youngster, the filly In Flanders, makes her debut in the G3 Gimcrack Stakes while the Lonhro colt Beylicks runs in the G3 Breeders’ Plate.
Both are winners at the official two-year-old barrier trials.
Also impressing at a later trial was Jadida, a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro from the brilliant G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Miracles Of Life and a A$1 million yearling purchase at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast sale.
Another Darley-sired trailer to catch the eye was Endorse, a half-brother by Brazen Beau to the Stakes winner Tiyatrolani who was a $230,000 purchase by China Horse Club and Newgate Farm at Magic Millions.
Recent significant foalings
As the latest crop of Darley-sired foals become thick on the ground in Australia, a few standouts have arrived in recent weeks.
Prominent among them is a colt from the G1-winning racemare Jameka and a member of the first crop of Impending (Lonhro).
The colt is the first foal for the three-time G1 winner who sold for $2.6 million at last year’s Magic Millions National broodmare sale to her major part-owner Colin McKenna.
Among Astern’s first crop foals are a three-quarter brother to the Stakes winner Multaja (Medaglia d’Oro) and a filly from the Listed winner Merriest (Denman).
Godolphin also welcomed a cracking Kermadec-Aforethought filly who is a three-quarter sister to the Stakes winner Malice (Teofilo), and an impressive Ribchester filly out of Aliunicari.
