Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos
Jenni Cesnik, who has run Riverina Downs with husband Mario and daughter Lexi since 2006, pinhooked Excelleration, selling him at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale for $6000 in 2018. The same draft also included Listed winner Hi Stranger (Zoffany {Ire}) who they bred.
“Mario was watching the race and all I could hear was him screaming. I went to see what was going on, and he said Excelleration had just won the Cup. I said, ‘Holy F***!’ But seriously, it was a nice result and it’s nice for people to know that you can buy a very cheap horse and still get a great result.
“Excelleration is the type of horse who could’ve got lost after the sale. The young girl that bought him was from the back blocks on the Murrimbidgee River and took him and another horse home on a two-horse float with the intention to let them grow up there. I’m not sure how he got from there to the trainer, but he’s certainly been a good horse for his connections.”
Graduate success
He was purchased from Riverina Downs by Emma Scott, and it was the second time he’d been to the sales, having been put through the Inglis Great Southern Weanling and Bloodstock Sale by Caithness Breeding as a weanling where he was officially passed in.
“We pinhooked Excelleration out of the Great Southern Sale. His sire Excelebration was on the cusp of whether he was going to make it or not, and unfortunately, he didn’t. Excelleration was a nice big scopey horse, a great walker and out of a city-winning mare.
“Steve Brem always said that city-winning mares will look after you, and it’s true for Excelleration. He grew into a big, gangly horse by sale time, a typical stayer, and wasn’t really a sales type of horse. He was overlooked by buyers, but we didn’t want to take a colt home, so we put him through unreserved.”
Excelebration (Ire) won three Group 1 races and finished second to Frankel (GB) on three occasions, twice at Group 1 level. He has left 17 stakes winners with two Group 1 winners in Europe, but only two of his stakes winners have been from his Australian crops.
“Excelebration went toe to toe with Frankel and he was a son of Exceed and Excel, so he should’ve been a good bet, but you can’t pick which stallions will make it and which won’t. The market is so fickle too, worse than women's fashion, and trying to predict what the market wants can be tricky.”
Riverina Downs sold Listed winner Hi Stranger in the same draft, retaining a 25 per cent share in him.
“He’s a lovely little horse. We don’t breed many and not at the top end of the market, but we kick goals and get nice horses. We aim for racehorses who are tough and sound. They are raised on hill country with big paddocks which helps them develop naturally big lungs and strong bones.”
“We aim for racehorses who are tough and sound. They are raised on hill country with big paddocks which helps them develop naturally big lungs and strong bones.” - Jenni Cesnik
Excelleration will be now aimed at the G1 Melbourne Cup and if he gets that elusive Group 1 win, he’ll join Riverina Downs graduate Shelby Sixtysix (Toronado {Ire}) as a Group 1 winner off the farm in recent years. From the latest crop off the farm is the promising 2-year-old Overfull (Overshare) who won on debut in February 2024 and was city-placed at her second start.
“Overfull has dragged her dam back from the commercial brink. She is her fourth foal but only her second winner. We have a yearling half-sister at home by Rich Enuff who will go to the Inglis Gold Yearling Sale, and we’ll cover the mare next year now that’s she’s left a good 2-year-old. Overfull sold in a tough sale and didn’t make much ($14,000) but was a nice type with a brain about her.”
Riverina Down’s 2022 Magic Millions Adelaide draft of nine yearlings already includes four 3-year-old winners led by city winner Huggle Time (Epaulette) who has won two of his five starts to date. Riverina Downs will be back at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale next week, where they will present five yearlings.
Adelaide offerings
“Adelaide is an 11-hour drive from the farm, so we came down a day early to give the horses a rest day prior to inspections on Thursday. Our daughter Lexi has her own sheep and cattle farm now, but she still helps out at Riverina Downs and is looking after the farm while we are in Adelaide. All the horses have had x-rays and scopes done and passed with excellent results.”
Lot 2 is a Harry Angel (Ire) filly out of the Dundeel (NZ) mare Happy Chance, whose dam is a half-sister to G1 Queen of the Turf S. winner Neroli (Viscount). “She’s a little pocket rocket, not terribly big, but is as wide as she is high. She’s very strong and tough. A bit of a bulldog!”
Lot 2 - Harry Angel (Ire) x Happy Chance (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Russian Camelot (Ire) filly, Lot 95, is the sixth foal of Miss Cutie (Street Cry {Ire}) who won twice, once in Brisbane, and whose first five foals are all winners including Prince Ziggy (Monaco Consul {NZ}) who has won 12 races to date.
“Miss Cutie never misses, everything out of her has won. She’s had two city winners this season with Huggle Time and Cute As (runs on Saturday at Caulfield). She’s a beautiful filly with a great temperament and walk, a quality filly of a good size. I think she’s a bit out of the box. Her and the Blue Point both have that same lovely athletic rolling walk.”
Lot 95 - Russian Camelot (Ire) x Miss Cutie (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Frosted (USA) filly, Lot 230, is the first foal of Riverina Downs raced St Edward’s Crown (Epaulette) who was a city winner at two and placed in the Listed Atlantic Jewel S. behind R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Exhilarates (Snitzel). St Edward’s Crown is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Viridine (Poet's Voice {GB}) who won nine races and over $1.2 million.
“We raced the dam and this is her first foal. She’s a quality horse, very much like her grandam, same colour, size, good eater, and attitude to life. Stunning and would make a fabulous show horse too. She’s a beauty queen.”
Lot 230 - Frosted (USA) x St Edward's Crown (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
A half-sister to G3 SAJC Breeders’ S.-placed city winner Artstrum (Artie Schiller {USA}), Lot 237 is a Blue Point (Ire) filly out of city winner of three races Strum Cha (Stratum). This is the family of Group 1 winner Purple (Commands).
“A tall filly who is a big walker with a great attitude. When she was a foal, I’d watch her walking in the paddock and she’d just roll over the ground, so smooth and athletic.”
Lot 237 - Blue Point (Ire) x Artstrum (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The only colt in the draft is Lot 429, by Peltzer out of winning mare Forgiveness (Show A Heart). He is the third live foal for his dam, who is a full sister to dual Group 2 winner and R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Mimi Lebrock (Show A Heart) and a half-sister to Group 3 winner Heavenly Thought (So You Think {NZ}) and Group 3 winner Shocko (Sebring).
“He’s a lovely big, tall colt. He’s not a 2-year-old muscular type, more of the good old fashioned English type of quality horse. He’s closely related to Heavenly Thought which is why we sent the mare to Peltzer as he’s a son of So You Think.”
Lot 429 - Peltzer x Forgiveness (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
There’s a little piece of philosophy that Riverina Downs uses in their approach to life, according to Jenni Cesnik. “Don’t take yourself too seriously. Do everything to the best of your ability and remember that horses are great levellers.”
