The excitement will be building at Godolphin with Cylinder the favourite for the $5,000,000 Group 1 Longines Golden Slipper at Rosehill and Cylinder’s half-sister sister Parisal among the leading chances in the Group III Typhoon Tracy Stakes at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Cylinder strives to become the second Golden Slipper winner for Darley Studs foundation stallion Exceed And Excel.
The 22yo son of Danehill has one Golden Slipper trophy on the mantelpiece, the George Altomonte homebred Overreach in 2013. Many thought only a heavy track stopped Overreach’s three-quarter brother Reward For Effort from claiming the trophy in 2009.
Exceed And Excel has several near misses with Sidestep (2nd in 2013), Earthquake (2nd in 2014), Guelph (3rd in 2013), Headwater (3rd in 2015), and Microphone (3rd in 2019).
Trained by Tim Martin, Exceed And Excel finished midfield in the 2003 Golden Slipper won by Polar Success. On Saturday, he has two in the Slipper for Godolphin, Cylinder and one-time favourite Barber. He is the broodmare sire Arkansaw Kid (Harry Angel) and the filly Exploring (Brazen Beau).
Circular, the dam of Cylinder and Parisal (Astern), was an honest performer for Godolphin when trained by John O’Shea.
The daughter of Street Cry (IRE) won five and placed in eight of her 20 starts. Her moment in the sun came in the Listed Matron Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley under Joao Moreira.
Circular’s dam Hexameter (Octagonal) is a Sydney-winning three-quarter sister to Lonhro, Niello, and Shannara.
This is the family of the Bart Cummings-trained Gay Poss (Le Filou), whose eleven wins included the AJC Oaks, Caulfield Stakes, Craiglee stakes and Kewney Stakes.
The daughter of Le Filou left one stakes winner, but her line continues to flourish through her daughter My Tricia (Hermes), the dam of five stakes winners led by triple Group 1 winner Grosvenor (Sir Tristram).
My Tricia left eight foals by Sir Tristram and two by Sir Tristram’s champion son Zabeel.
She showed she was not beholden to the Sir Tristram line with her other foals, Concia (First Consul) and My Marseillaise (Marceau).
Concia left two stakes-winners, AJC Oaks heroine Mahay and STC Sweet Embrace Stakes winner Shadea, the dam of Lonhro, Niello, and Shannara, and the great granddam of Circular.
My Marseillaise also left to stakes-winners Bon Cher and De Lisle.
The last two foals of My Tricia, the Zabeel mares Tricia Ann and Ana Zeal, have left a lasting legacy
Tricia Ann is the dam of Group II winner La Sizeranne (Stravinsky) and granddam of ATC Australian Derby hero Tavigo (Tavistock).
Ana Zeel is the dam of Group II MVRC Champagne Stakes winner Estelle Collection, who wrote her name in the record books as the dam of the 5-time Group 1 winner and Australian Horse Of The Year, Lankan Rupee (Redoute’s Choice).
Exceed And Excel is in the twilight of a magnificent career, but the final chapter is far from written.
In deference to his age, Exceed And Excel covered 63 mares last spring for $132,000.
Cylinder and Barber come from 84 foals from his 16th crop, and 67 yearlings and 65 foals are waiting in the wings.
Win, lose or draw on Saturday, Cylinder and Barber may have done enough already to join Bivouac and Microphone at Darley Stud.
