It has taken some time for the penny to drop for Contemporary, but the son of Exceed And Excel put it all together for an impressive win in the TAB Maiden (1150m) at Randwick-Kensington.
Ridden by Sam Clipperton for James Cummings, the Godolphin colour-bearer was no closer than three deep the trip before drawing away to defeat the Zoustar gelding Ramones by three and a quarter-length with the Dundeel gelding Bo Bo Beware a head back in third.
The most experienced runner in the race, Contemporary shed his maiden status at his sixth start and the third for the preparation.
The son of Exceed And Excel was second on debut at Flemington last September and was far from disgraced when sixth, beaten just over two lengths, behind Sejardan in the $1 million Golden Gift at Rosehill.
“We have always had a good opinion of the horse, and he was our first (2yo) runner of the season,” stable representative Nacin Dilmi said.
“James took his time with him, and this was the race for him.
‘He always runs well, and he was dominant today. At his last start at Canterbury, he was not far off when beaten by what looks two promising two-year-olds.
“This win will give him a lot of confidence.”
Sam Clipperton said Contemporary would go on with it.
“He is a nice horse, just needing a bit of confidence. He put the writing on the wall last start at Canterbury,” Clipperton said.
“He had a wide draw, and I covered ground, but down the side, he was in a nice rhythm with a backside to follow. It was just a matter of holding him together around the corner, and he showed a nice turn of foot.
“I think he will go on with it from here.”
Contemporary is the first winner from two to race out of the talented Street Cry (IRE) mare Memorial, a 2-time winner at Rosehill at two, who placed in the Group II Silver Shadow Stakes, Listed Lonhro Plate and was fifth in Mossfun’s Golden Slipper.
Memorial is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner and promising young stallion Impending, Group III Cameron Hcp winner Forget, and Listed Helen Coughlan Stakes winner Epidemic.
A daughter of the Group 1 MRC One Thousand Guineas and Group 1 STC Queen Of The Turf Stakes winner Mnemosyne, Memorial has a yearling I Am Invincible filly named Commemorative, a weanling filly by Blue Point, and was covered by Lonhro last spring.
Contemporary is the seventh 2yo winner of the season from 18 runners for Exceed And Excel, who is preparing for his nineteenth season at Darley for a fee of $132,000.
