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Darley's Exceed And Excel sires 175th stakes winner

The Denis Hogan-trained Lady Princess (2 f ex Million Spirits by Invincible Spirit) produced an impressive effort to win the Blenheim Stakes (Listed, 6f) at Fairyhouse on Monday and became Darley reverse shuttler Exceed And Excel’s (Danehill) 175th stakes winner.   

A winner of only one of her three previous starts, the two-year-old filly had no issues with the step up in class, showing a good turn of foot to come from last to first to beat New Treasure (New Approach) by a length and a quarter with another four and a half lengths back to Bell I Am (Belardo) in third. 

The two-year-old filly is one of four and first stakes winner out of dual winning Invincible Spirit (Green Desert) mare Million Spirits, making her a half-sister to Italian Listed winner Spirit Son (Pour Moi). 

Million Spirits is herself a half-sister 2009 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (Gr 1, 1600m) Elusive Wave (Elusive City), who in turn produced Japanese Listed scorer Admire Virgo (Deep Impact), while she is also a half-sister to the dam of Listed winner City Image (Elusive City). 

Exceed And Excel's progeny is headed by 15 top-flight winners including Microphone, who is covering his first book of mares alongside his sire at Darley's Kelvinside in 2020, while fellow elite level winner Exceedance is standing his first season at Vinery Stud. Exceed And Excel himself is standing for a fee of $132,000 (inc GST).