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Inquiry lands Spear Chief Handicap.

The John Smerdon-trained Inquiry (5 g ex Screen by Lonhro) grabbed his tenth career victory - first at stakes level - on Saturday when he won the Spear Chief Handicap (Listed, 1350m) at Doomben and in the process added a stakes win to Darley stallion Exceed And Excel's (Danehill) record, taking his tally to 173 stakes winners. 

The gelding was originally with the Godolphin stable and raced in Sydney and Melbourne before being sold to Tamworth trainer Cody Morgan.

After racing in country NSW, Inquiry went to Jared Whelow in Rockhampton before he was sent to Smerdon on the Gold Coast.

Inquiry beat Scallopini (Snitzel) by a length and a quarter with a length and a half back to Right Or Wrong (Manhattan Rain) in third.

The gelding is out of Group 3-winning Lonhro (Octagonal) mare Screen, making him a half-brother to three time winner Cloak (Medaglia d'Oro) and Bollywood (Sepoy), who has won twice. 

Screen herself is a half-sister to three-time stakes winner Brannigan (Flying Spur). 

Meanwhile, under the gelding's third dam is three-time Group 1 winner Dracula (Quest For Fame), who was crowned Australia's champion two-year-old in the 1997-1998 season, while he is a half-brother to stakes-winning duo Sash (Dr Grace) and The Oscars (Procol Harum). 

Further back this is also the family of 2013 Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Complacent (Authorized) and Sentimental Miss (Reliable Man), who won the 2019 New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m). 

In 2017 Screen produced filly Mashrabiya (Sepoy), who is unraced and the mare died in 2018.

Exceed And Excel's progeny is headed by 15 top-flight winners including Microphone, who will stand his first season alongside the stallion at Darley's Kelvinside in 2020, while fellow elite level winner Exceedance will join the Vinery Stud roster this spring. Exceed And Excel himself will stand for $132,000 (inc GST) at Kelvinside.