Having his second start for the Chris Waller stable, Godolphin’s 3yo Exceed And Excel colt Burma Star had race fitness on his side as he ploughed through the wet to win the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Handicap (1100m) at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
With the field down to just six runners after race morning scratching’s, Burma Star was the only runner in the field to have previously raced, and with a fourth in the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes at 2, it was clear the colt possessed ability.
From barrier four, James McDonald had the colt settled handy in the run behind the Bjorn Baker trained Defiance, with the $300,000 Darby Racing, Inglis Easter purchased Zoustar colt coming into the race off some handy trial form.
McDonald started to urge Burma Star along before the home turn was reached where the colt was tracking Defiance who was still running the field along.
Coming off his heels with 300m to go, Burma Star asserted his superiority in the small field, charging past the leader before gapping his rival to break his maiden by three and three-quarter lengths.
Charging home from back in the field, Ciaron Maher’s Street Boss filly Hush Hush took second for breeder/owner Ron Gilbert’s Highgrove Stud with race leader Defiance, who will derive plenty of benefit from his effort, weaken to finish in third.
While the track is clearly a heavy 10, Waller felt it was safe to race at this stage.
“Kudos to the club. I had a walk of the track earlier, and it has got a good base so it's safe,” said Waller.
With Burma Star only being in the stable for a short period of time, Waller was very complimentary of the systems in place.
“What we've seen from the Godolphin system is they've got amazing systems, good staff, and the horses are so well educated, they look fantastic. They were fit, so I'm just taking James's (Cummings) wages.
When asked could the horse step up to black type racing, Waller felt that best indication was to discuss that with jockey James McDonald.
“The beauty of having James aboard is he'll give you good feedback as well, so see what he says, and hopefully we can pick up black type for the mare and for the Godolphin operation.”
Clearly happy with the win, beaming with a huge smile upon his return to scale, McDonald felt there is some upside to the colt
“He was fit today when he's 1200 back to 1100, he had a nice conditioning run, and he was always going to probably win today,” said McDonald.
“Tracks obviously heavy, but he was on the right horse.
“He's progressive for sure, he's still got a bit of developing to do and he'll probably improve on top of the ground a bit more, and obviously a win does a horse's confidence a huge amount of good, and I'm sure he'll take good benefit from that.”
Taking his record to a win, two seconds and two fourth placed efforts from just five starts, the son of Darley’s retired Champion Sire Exceed And Excel looks capable of stepping up to black type races this time in.
The second winner from two runners out of the Group 2 placed New Approach mare Gongs, a half-sister to the stakes placed Lonhro gelding Mesa, both out of Bel Esprit’s Listed winner Belcentra, it is the extended family of Group 1 winners Tully Thunder, Levendi, Roman Emperor and Black Mamba.
Gongs foaled a full sister to Burma Star the following season with the 2yo filly named Tibetan Bell, also in the Waller stable, while the mare then produced a colt by Bivouac and is due to foal this season to Anamoe.
With a staggering 363 international stakes performers to his record, highlighted by 20 individual Group 1 winners, Exceed And Excel’s final crop of yearlings will head through the sale ring in 2026.
