Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
It has been an exciting spring for the team at Vinery Stud. The staff at the Scone-based farm have held their breath in anticipation as the first progeny of local stallion Exceedance hit the track.
Despite not debuting until May of his 2-year-old season, the son of Exceed And Excel's progeny are showing stacks of precocity.
During the prestigious Cup Week meetings at Flemington, Exceedance got off the mark when his son Dublin Down, from the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable, made a massive statement in the G3 Maribyrnong Plate.
The success provided Exceedance the double whammy, a first winner and stakes winner. To date, the G1 Coolmore Stud S. victor has only had three runners for two winners. On Thursday, his daughter, Simply Tina, showed plenty of ability with an authoritative debut success at Cairns over 950 metres.
The filly was passed in when offered by Vinery Stud S. at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale but was reoffered by Lyndhurst Stud Farm at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale, selling to Maguire Breeding and Racing for $32,500.
Interestingly, Thursday’s victress is bred on a similar cross to Bivouac, who Exceedance defeated in the Coolmore Stud S.
Exceedance | Standing at Vinery Stud
Both sons of the great Exceed And Excel, Bivouac is from a daughter of Vinery Stud’s much-loved late shuttle sensation More Than Ready (USA), likewise is Simply Tina.
Jupiter to ascend?
Exeedance’s enviable start could improve when his daughter Jupiter Hills debuts in Saturday’s $500,000 R. Listed Inglis Nursery at Randwick. Jupiter Hills was bred in partnership with Encompass International, Seymour Bloodstock and Werrett Bloodstock, and, according to Adam White, bloodstock manager at Vinery, the filly has always been a standout.
Adding to White's assessment of Jupiter Falls is the fact the filly caught the eye of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing alongside Kestrel Thoroughbreds, who paid $380,000 to secure the filly at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Jupiter Hills as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“Jupiter Hills has plenty of quality. She’s always had quality from a young age and was always very athletic looking, which is what Exceedance is,” White told The Thoroughbred Report.
“She’s a high-class filly. We showed her off quite a bit to our clients when they came around. Right through as a foal, as a yearling and then, of course, when she went to the sales, she showed herself off. Jupiter Hills was always a lovely filly and always looked like she would run.
“She’s (Jupiter Hills) always had quality from a young age and was always very athletic looking, which is what Exceedance is.” - Adam White
“Gai (Waterhouse), Adrian (Bott), Bruce (Slade) and the whole team all loved her. They were very keen to buy the filly. It’s great getting the stock of a first-year horse into stables like that because you know how good they are and have seen the stable literally airborne with their 2-year-olds this year.”
Jupiter Hills will be looking to emulate the Vinery Stud graduate Saltaire, the daughter of fellow Vinery stallion Star Turn, who won last year's valuable $500,000 feature.
“It’s very exciting. The farm is going for two consecutive Inglis Nurseries because we sold last year’s winner, Saltaire, a daughter of Star Turn, so it’s great.
Saltaire, the winner of last year's R. Listed Inglis Nursery, was also a graduate of Vinery Stud | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“For Exceedance, it’s massive. For his first runner to be a Group 3 winner down the Flemington straight, where he won his most important race, then he had a winner on Thursday (Simply Tina), and to hopefully back that up with a good result in Sydney on Saturday, would really be a fantastic result start for him.”
Looks and pedigree
Not only does Jupiter Hills have the looks and has been showing ability at the trial, but she’s also beautifully bred. She is the second foal from the talented Miss Gunpowder (Pendragon {NZ}); the Phillip Stokes-trained mare won eight races, including the G2 Thousand Guineas Prelude and was placed in the G3 Proud Miss S.
Miss Gunpowder when racing | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Adding further to the page is the classy Absolut Glam (Snowland), a victress of the G1 Winter S. and the G2 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic. She also had placed efforts in the G1 Manikato S. and the G1 Stradbroke H.
“Miss Gunpowder was a mare that we bought when she was still racing. She was a talented 2-year-old herself, winning twice but she got better as an older mare when trained by Phillip Stokes. She was one that we were pretty keen to get to Exceedance. She really was the quality of mare we wanted to get to him in his first year.
“You need to support the young stallions in their year with good running mares like Miss Gunpowder. It’s essential to help get their career started. Also, she’s a beautiful mare, so we knew that mated with Exceedance, we were going to get a good-looking foal.
“She (Miss Gunpowder) was a talented 2-year-old herself... She was one that we were pretty keen to get to Exceedance. She really was the quality of mare we wanted to get to him in his first year.” - Adam White
“So, the decision was based on a combination of those reasons as to why the partnership, which includes two of our partners at Vinery, Derek and Steve McCan, as well as Darren Thomas’ Seymour Bloodstock, who Mark Pilkington manages, chose Exceedance.
Just the start
A victory by Jupiter Hills in the Inglis Nursery would give Exceedance a further boost. However, the team is excited for the future, expecting his progeny to get better with more time.
Adam White | Image courtesy of Inglis
“As most fourth-year horses, Exceedance was probably a little bit quiet leading into the season. Then we had a few hit the trials, Dublin Down winning the Maribyrnong Plate, and from that time, we’ve had a good influx of some nice mares.
“Exceedance is a very fertile horse, which has helped. A few mares were coming off other stallions and needed a change because Exeedance started well he picked up many of those.
“Exeedance won spectacularly as a 2-year-old. However, it wasn't until he was a May 2-year-old, so the start he has made is very promising. But I think we’ve also got to remember Exceedance is a son of Exceed And Excel, who can get talented juveniles.
“Exeedance won spectacularly as a 2-year-old. However, it wasn't until he was a May 2-year-old, so the start he has made is very promising.” - Adam White
“And when you send mares like Miss Gunpowder, who performed as 2-year-olds themselves, you’ll have a good opportunity to get a few up and about early. We’re also at the time of the year when a lot more of his progeny are coming through trials, ready for the new year.
“But the future of Exceedance is definitely very bright.”
