Godolphin's consistent Exceed And Excel gelding Isaurian scored a well-deserved maiden stakes win in Saturday's Listed Chief De Beers Quality (1100m) at Doomben but the veteran Straturbo certainly made him earn it.
Sent off the short-priced favourite under James McDonald, the James Cummings-trained 4yo defeated the 9yo gelding Straturbo (Straturbo) by a short half-head with the luckless mare Good Time (Time Thief) a neck back in third. (photo Racing Queensland).
Placed three times previously at Listed level, Isaurian advances his record to 5 wins, 2 seconds and 2 thirds from 12 starts with earnings of $303,740.
"We brought him up here to get some black-type and he has done that now. He is a pretty handy horse and I think we will leave him here," Cummings told AAP.
"There are some races coming up which will suit him including the Moreton Cup (at Doomben on June 1). After that we can look a bit further."
"We brought him up here to get some black-type and he has done that now. He is a pretty handy horse and I think we will leave him here," Cummings said.
"There are some races coming up which will suit him including the Moreton Cup (at Doomben on June 1). After that we can look a bit further."
A full brother to Group III winning juvenile Ottoman and a half-brother to the Listed ATC Dulcify Hcp runner-up Nemrud (Reset), Isaurian is out of the Elusive Quality (USA) mare Byzantine, a half-sister to 5-time Group 1 winner Mummify.
Purchased by Darley for $160,000 out of the Redman Park draft 2008 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Byzantine is a sister to Shabtis who is the dam of the Group III MVRC Champagne Stakes winner Take Pride who is by Exceed And Excel's son Reward For Effort.
Byzantine has not had a live foal in five seasons. She missed to Exceed And Excel last spring.
Isaurian becomes the 158th stakes-winner for Darley Stud's flagship stallion Exceed And Excel whose 157th stakes-winner came a day earlier at York when Magnetic Charm (GB) won the Listed York Oaks Farm Stables Fillies' Stakes, a race won 12 months earlier by Exceed And Excel's Threading (IRE).
