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Son of Exceed And Excel sparkles in Newmarket
Star three-year-old colt Bivouac (3 c Exceed And Excel - Dazzler by More Than Ready) emulated his sire Exceed And Excel (Danehill) when he landed Flemington's famous Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m) on Saturday.
Exceed And Excel landed the 2004 renewal of the Group 1 and his son's victory never looked in doubt as he loomed upsides the leaders with Glen Boss sitting motionless on top. When Boss asked the colt for his effort he skipped away to beat fellow three-year-old Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible) by an impressive two and a half lengths.
"It's an elite crop of three-year-olds. He's at the top of them and it's very exciting that we can own him," Godolphin managing director Vin Cox said.
"He's one of three Group 1-winning sons of Exceed And Excel in a very good crop of three-year-olds and to win as dominantly as he has in a Newmarket Handicap, I think is very special."
Cox indicated Bivouac would head to Sydney for T J Smith (Gr 1, 1200m) at Randwick on April 4 while a tilt at Royal Ascot, this year, was unlikely, with Cox indicating the colt was now the most likely candidate to take up Godolphin's shot in the The Everest (1200m) in October.
"The T J is a weight-for-age six-furlong race and an obvious target for him, but we'll sit down and have a yarn about him," Cox said.
The colt won the Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) in September and had not saluted the judge since that Group 1 win, but his victory takes his record to six wins from 13 starts with prize-money earnings of $2,147,000.
Bred by owner Darley, the colt is out of two-time winning More Than Ready (Southern Halo) mare Dazzler, whose three foals to race have all been winners.
Dazzler herself is out of Group 1 winner Camarilla (Elusive Quality), making her a half-sister to multiple Group 1-winning champion Guelph (Exceed And Excel) - the dam of Group 2 winner and now Eureka Stud sire Encryption (Lonhro). Camarilla is also the dam of Group 2 winner Ghibellines (Shamardal).
The colt's third dam is Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Camarena (Danehill), while this is the family of multiple Group 1 winner Sepoy (Elusive Quality).
The colt is one of 15 Group 1 winners for Exceed And Excel, who stood at Darley's Kelvinside base for a fee of $88,000 (inc GST) in 2019.
Dazzler was covered by Exceed And Excel again last October having foaled a colt by Lonhro (Octagonal). She has a yearling filly by Medaglia d'Oro (El Prado).
