Excelleration wins Gore Guineas, Looking for stakes hat-trick
The filly was untested to claim the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m) a fortnight ago for trainer Nigel Tiley and she subsequently joined Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong for the remainder of her stay.
Excelleration made a winning debut from her new Riccarton quarters on Saturday when she was again too good for her rivals in the Listed Harcourts Dunedin Guineas (1500m).
The daughter of Exceed And Excel was reunited with jockey Samantha Collett, who had ridden her to victory at Ruakaka before the filly embarked on her road trip, but had to pass the reins to Kylie Williams at Gore.
“I was committed to riding up north that day,” Collett said. “It was just a sit and steer job for me today.”
Excelleration settled toward the back of the field before she improved around the field from the 700m mark.
She was widest into the straight and, after coasting to the front 250m from home, she moved clear to account for the Shaun Ritchie-trained Global Thinking and Michael and Matthew Pitman’s Czechoslovakia.
“I wanted to get out and avoid any traffic problems,” said Collett, who sported the colours of co-breeders and part-owners Wellfield Lodge. “I probably hit the front too soon, but she did it easily.
“She’s not very big, but she makes up for it in heart.”
Success in the Listed Southland Guineas (1600m) at Ascot Park in a fortnight’s time will complete a notable stakes hat-trick for Excelleration.
“Whether it’s wet or dry, she’ll be pretty hard to beat there,” Collett said.