Tasman trip beckons for filly Excelleration
Excelleration has made the most of her southern campaign and she may be in line to travel even further afield.
She was prepared at Pukekohe by Nigel Tiley to win the Listed Gore Guineas (1335) and the daughter of Exceed And Excel was then left in the care of Riccarton trainers Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong to add the Listed Dunedin Guineas (1500m) to her record.
Excelleration finished runner-up last time out in the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m) and another bold showing in the Group 3 Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) will bring a trip to Australia a step closer.
“If she runs well on Saturday she’ll go on to the Warstep Stakes and if she won that we would look at a hit and run mission to Sydney,” co-breeder and part-owner Bill Gleeson, of Wellfield Lodge, said.
“It’s all performance-based and against the older mares we’ll get a good line on her.” The race in Sydney under consideration is the Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 7.
“They’re only three once and she is racing very well,” Gleeson said. “She’ll benefit from her last race, it was a month between runs and the track will suit her.”
Excelleration will be ridden for the first time on Saturday by Rosie Myers. “The other thing in her favour is that she only has to carry 53kg,” Gleeson said. “It’s a step up in class, but there’s no reason why she won’t be very competitive if she’s at the top of her game and her work has suggested she is.”