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Highclere Racing got a significant return on its investment in Australian racing at Geelong on Wednesday when Exceed And Excel colt Knighthood won his first race.

Knighthood was the first yearling purchased in Australia by agent John Warren for the high profile UK syndicate, costing $210,000 at last year’s Easter sale in Sydney.

The two-year-old, out of the Noverre mare Systolic and prepared by Team Hawkes, beat more experienced rivals as an odds on favourite in an impressive start to his career.

Knighthood’s win adds to the previous success enjoyed by Highclere in Australia with its imported stayers Opinion and Libran.

Opinion, a seven-time winner formerly trained in the UK by Sir Michael Stoute, recently returned to winning form with a victory in the Listed Stayers Cup at Randwick for the Chris Waller stable.

Waller also prepares Libran, who won five times in England for trainer Alan Swinbank and has won three of his six starts in Australia including the G2 Chairman’s Handicap before finishing second in the G1 Sydney Cup.

Highclere chairman Harry Herbert said a number of international owners are shareholders in the horses racing for HTR in Australia.

“Australia has always been an evolving target market for us and we have a number of international syndicate shareowners,” Herbert said.

“Knighthood’s debut victory and some notable wins by Libran and Opinion has ensured an excellent start for us in Australia.

“We have also just purchased Regal Monarch who will run at the Qatar Goodwood Festival before joining Chris Waller in Australia at the end of the year.”

HTR horses have won $800,000 prize-money in Australia this season with Libran set for a Melbourne Cup campaign this spring.