Excelman excels at Flemington

Trainer Richard Laming put a circle around the Subzero Handicap (1400m) four months ago for his grey Excelman and he was delighted that his plan came to fruition at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.

The New Zealand-bred gelding was given a soft passage by jockey Blaike McDougall after drawing the ace barrier and he was able to follow the speed behind pacemaker Naval Envoy throughout, pipping the Danielle Loos-trained runner in the final strides to win by half a length.

Laming was duly delighted to score a victory in the unique race.

“From last preparation we turned him out for this,” the Cranbourne trainer said.

“He is a horse that goes very good fresh. I said to the owners this morning that this is the best I have ever had him going and he produced it out there today.

“It was a target race today and it was good to pull it off.”

McDougal was just as pleased after doing plenty of work with the son of Reliable Man in the lead-up to the race.

“For the last month I have been heading out to Cranbourne and jumping this fella out and he has been going terrific,” McDougal said.

“We were very lucky, we drew one, so we were drawn to receive every chance in the running.

“He was a credit to Richard and his team today.”

Excelman was bred by Westbury Stud principal Gerry Harvey, who stands his sire, Reliable Man, at his South Auckland farm.

Out of the Exceed and Excel mare Glory Run, Excelman is a half-brother to the Group One performed Night’s Watch.

First Aussie win for Preferment

Brighthill Farm stallion Preferment recorded his first Australian win as a sire when his daughter Smirk was victorious over 1400m at Newcastle last Saturday.

The three-year-old filly was having her second career start and stamped the landmark win impressively with a barnstorming late finish.

Fittingly she is trained by Preferment's former trainer, Chris Waller, and is raced by the same owners.

"It's great to see Chris and some of the original owners registering Preferment's first winner in Australia,” Brighthill Farm’s Nick King said.

“We have seen a lot of very promising Preferments at the trials and races in the last few months and we have been impressed with the patience trainers have shown with his progeny.

“As a son of Zabeel, we know whatever his stock are showing us now, will only get better.”

Smirk is out of the Stravinsky mare Keep Smiling and was presented by Wentwood Grange at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale where she was purchased by Chris Waller and Mulcaster Bloodstock for $160,000.

Smirk is raced by her trainer along with Mystery Downs, Mrs CM Cook, Mr I Bruce and Mr R Smith, Peachester Lodge Pty Ltd and Woppitt Bloodstock.

The oldest progeny by Preferment, who was a Champion four-time Group One winning racehorse, are now three.

He stands at Brighthill Farm for a fee of $9,500+GST.