Pushed along by James Oarman to hold a forward position early, Godolphin’s consistent Exceed And Excel filly Aquitaine did the right thing by punters in Saturday’s Listed Mick Dittman Plate (1000m) at Eagle Farm.
The sparingly raced, James Cummings-trained, filly kept up a strong gallop in the straight to defeat the Better Than Ready gelding Iced by three-quarters of a length with the Not A Single Doubt filly Niedorp a half-head back in third.
Oarman picked up the ride on Aquitaine when Larry Cassidy was injured.
"I was trying to get a nap in when my manager kept calling me, “ Oarman said.
“Eventually I picked up thinking this better be good and when he told me about the ride it was, very keen to jump aboard.
"Things didn't work out in the run. I was stuck three-wide on the speed, there was no point easing him back so I just tried to get her to relax and i knew I was on the best horse in the race a long way out.”
Godolphin travelling foreman Nacim Dilmi said the daughter of Exceed And Excel deserved the win after placing in stakes company at her past two starts.
"She's a big powerhouse this filly, struts around with a real presence about her, she was in great condition for today and raced accordingly,” Dilmi said.
"I've got to give a special mention to the staff at home who not only got her here in great order but have done a lot of work with her in the barriers where she used to play up. Without them she wouldn't be winning a race like this.
"The plan was to either sit behind or just in front of Niedorp, we got stuck three wide but the horse always travelled like she was going to win.
"I love bringing these horses up to Brisbane, if Godolphin ever opens up a Brisbane stable I'll be the first to put my hand up."
A three-quarter sister to the Group II ATC Magic Night Stakes and Listed Gimcrack stakes winner Calliope, Aquitaine is the only winner to date out of the stakes-placed Medaglia d’Oro mare Thalia whose stakes-placed dam Melpomene is a daughter of the Group 1 VRC Oaks heroine Bulla Borghese.
Thalia has a 2yo filly and a weanling coly by Exceed And Excel.
Aquitaine becomes the 171st stakes-winner for Darley’s flagship stallion Exceed And Excel who will stand at a fee of $132,000 in 2020.
