Surprisingly unwanted in the betting, having won two of his four jumpouts prior to making his debut, the Gerard Maloney trained Exceedance 2yo Express Class got the better of the race favourite to make a winning debut in the Sportsbet Race Previews Handicap (1000m) at Sandown.
Snagged back to settle second last by Patrick Maloney, the gelding appeared content to race wide as fellow Exceedance 2yo No Limitation ran along in the lead ensuring the race was truly run.
As the field turned for home and No Limitation was still running along, Maloney was starting to ask Express Class for an effort, but he didn’t appear completely comfortable until he was pulled out even wider into clear running where he let down extremely well.
Once he started his run, it always appeared as if he would run down those ahead of him, going on to secure a half-length victory, ears pricked, over Phillip Stokes’ Ferivia (Asten) who for a fleeting moment looked as is she would take the win and remain unbeaten.
Having raced in second behind the leader for most of the race, the Anthony and Sam Freedman trained Street Artist (NZ) (Super Seth) held on for third, just ahead of Snitzel filly Conscience, with the half-sister to dual Group 3 winner Espionage (Zoustar) taking fourth.
An emotional victory, with jockey Patrick Maloney riding the winner for his Dad Gerard, who came to the races feeling the horse would be outclassed by his rivals.
“Dad's been around the game for a long, long time and he's a real horseman and he's pretty reserved most of the time,” said Maloney. “But you can't beat winning when you're riding a winner for Dad.”
“We came here with very low expectations, if you heard my Dad's pre-video at the stables of this horse."
“He pretty much put a massive wet blanket on the horse. because the race came up so strong and he's a pretty raw canvas at the moment”
“Geez he shocked me the way he let rip and did it with authority too, a lot of arrogance and soft wins, so Dad might have found one.”
“You know, there was no races in the calendar. I was around at Dad's Saturday night for a feed, and he said, well, you pick out a race for this horse. I said, no, not Sandown, midweek.”
“There was no other options for him for this one, and then we'd probably go out for a break. He might have to stay in the stable for a little bit longer. I don't ride horses fast enough like this one. So, yeah, it's really, really, really rewarding for Dad especially.”
The third foal, and first winner out of the Snitzel mare Miss Belief, herself a daughter of the Group 2-winning, dual Group 1 Sydney Cup placed Divine Rebel (NZ) (Don Eduardo), the Michael Rea Pty Ltd-bred Express Class was a $60,000 purchase for Moloney Racing from the Bucklee Farm draft at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Express Class is one of 38 individual winners this season in Australia by Vinery Stud’s second season sire Exceedance, headed by Listed winners Swift Falcon and Dance To The Boom.
A winner of the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, Exceedance will stand for a fee of $33,000 (inc. GST) in the spring.
