Exceedance colt Dublin Down claimed his second Group 3 win this season with a dominant front-running display in the ATC Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy immediately flagged a seven-day turnaround into the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill. “He’s a really good colt although we initially considered him more of a 1400m horse for the Sires’ Produce Stakes,” Calvin said. “We didn’t really think he had the speed to do that today but he took control of the race and was very impressive.”
He heads the first crop of Vinery sire Exceedance and last year’s Golden Slipper winner Shinzo (Snitzel) also qualified through the Pago Pago. Shinzo was sold in utero by Vinery when his dam Samaready (More Than Ready) changed hands with a PPT to Snitzel for $1.8million at the 2020 Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
Dublin Down had won the VRC Maribyrnong Plate (Gr.3. 1000m) at Flemington in November and looked right at home racing in the clockwise direction for the first time on Saturday. He clicked up a gear in the straight for Tim Clark and always had the measure of Anode to defeat the I Am Invincible colt by a half-length.
“I didn’t plan to lead and it surprised me when he landed there,” Clark said. “He travelled sweetly and then quickened up nicely for a tough win.”
Dublin Down (2c Exceedance – Dublin Lass by O’Reilly) arrived in Sydney after finishing down the track in the MRC Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr.1, 1200m) at Caulfield last month. “That run was actually much better than it looked on paper,” Calvin McEvoy added. “He got poleaxed and was also held up so it was a brave effort.
“We added blinkers and a tongue-tie today and that made a huge difference. His sire Exceedance really jumped out of the ground when the shades went on and his mum Dublin Lass did as well.”
Dublin Down was the most expensive first-crop yearling by Exceedance when making $370,000 at last year’s Gold Coast Magic Millions. He was purchased by agent Damon Gabbedy on behalf of a syndicate managed by Ray Pawsey.
Exceedance (Exceed And Excel) has two fillies from his second crop entered for the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale next month. Vinery (as agent) offers Lot 152 from MRC Thousand Guineas Prelude (Gr.2, 1400m) winner Miss Gunpowder (Pendragon) on Day 1.
Alma Vale and Kitchwin Hills (as agent) have catalogued the full-sister to Dublin Down as Lot 499 on Day 2 at Riverside Stables. They were both bred by Ian Smith and their dam Dublin Lass was subsequently purchased by Kingstar Farm for $85,000 from the Edinburgh Park Dispersal at the 2023 Magic Millions National Sale.
Exceedance won’t be long opening his account across the Tasman with Legally Binding. The Te Akau Racing youngster won a Taupo 900m trial last Thursday under a hold from Opie Bosson.
Legally Binding was a $90,000 buy for Te Akau principal David Ellis at the 2023 Gold Coast Magic Millions. His dam Legal Eagle (More Than Ready) is a full-sister to WA Champion Fillies (Gr.3, 1600m) winner Dreamaway.
