Champion mare Black Caviar’s first partner in the breeding barn will be leading stallion Exceed And Excel.
Black Caviar’s owners confirmed the decision on Wednesday to send the mare to this season’s champion sire-elect who stands at Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley Stud.
Speculation on who would be chosen for Black Caviar’s first mating had been rife since she was retired undefeated earlier this year with a perfect record of 25 wins from 25 starts, including an Australian record 15 Group One victories.
“It has been a very thorough, painstaking but enjoyable process,” part-owner Gary Wilkie said.
“Like all decisions with Black Caviar, we are very honoured and extremely privileged to be the ones in this predicament.”
The owners said the decision came down to a number of key factors including Exceed And Excel being by champion sire Danehill and his already proven bloodline with the champion mare’s family.
The progeny of Exceed And Excel made a clean sweep of this season’s juvenile triple crown with Overreach winning the Golden Slipper and another of his daughters, Guelph, claiming the Sires’ Produce and Champagne Stakes.
The other serious contender was More Than Ready, the sire of two Slipper winners while the owners said others on the short list were Not A Single Doubt, Fastnet Rock and Casino Prince, the stallion of Black Caviar’s younger half brother All Too Hard.
“There were a number of outstanding stallions that demanded our attention, and we are thrilled that Exceed And Excel will be Nelly’s first mating,” Wilkie said.
A star on the track as well as the breeding barn, Exceed And Excel won seven of his 12 starts including the 2004 Newmarket Handicap, which Black Caviar won seven years later.
johnny nevin is a legend
Roar Pro
Fair enough, I thought you were dismissing Frankels potential as a stallion but you don't believe there's enough diversity in the breeding.
Bondy
Guest
If given the option I would've taken her straight to Fastnet Rock ,F R's blood is more solid and durable, I believe if she went to Fastnet the opportunity for further ground with her progeny would also be there too .
peter martin
Guest
thing is I would expect her to be able to throw a really good miler + and I think that would be the best angles. E & E - I get concerned if they don't go early, they learn not to go at all!
kv joef
Guest
deep impact --- "hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm" drool, drool :). You can see why More Than Ready was in the mix. SHAMARDAL - slipped through a sneaky one there Peter but well caught. getting a filly out of that line would certainly be something to go on with.
peter martin
Guest
if she was to go offshore - deep impact and SHAMARDAL would be my preference.
kv joef
Guest
Snitzel ... no prob but again a bit of mirroring and also when is a truckload of Northern Dancer enough :). I can her the roar from the h.valley ... NEVER! I tell you, thank heavens for the Arabs,French and Japanese who at least understand the necessity (and profit) of keeping a concentrated genetic pool as diverse as possible.
kv joef
Guest
Yes i aplogise about coolmore JN; just having a bit of fun. coolmore seem v.keen to retain the best northern dancer blood, but that Exceed and Excel just went through to the keeper and ended up in Darley's paddock. probably too speedy for their tastes in those days but as Gus Gould says, 'you can't have enough speed' ... in a pedigree of coarse. Dominant speed can take you a long way on a racecourse. I always remember reading what Tessio said about Nearco after his success in the Grand Prix de Paris (3000m - then Europe's Melb Cup). His 14th straight win to retire undefeated. He was asked whether he was the 'best stayer he had ever bred?'. He had already bred and trained many v.high-class stayers. He replied "No, he is the fastest horse i've bred". Maybe an insight into BC's dominant speed and what you are dealing with. With Frankel, the interest is in Urban Sea, the dam of both Galileo and the outstanding champion SEA THE STARS (GB) who is by the Green Desert capable stallion and racehorse, Cape Cross. So for me, the key Frankel blood is already in BC. One of the many things i like about Exceed and Excel choice is his granddam GLADIOLUS, a proven animal carrying some v.underestimated and useful USA lines. As for Fastnet Rock, IMHO, i can't see the benefit in mirroring. Save yourself $225,000 and go with Choisir :). Anyway, I'm sure this tremendous stallion is penciled in somewhere along the line. The thing with BC is not only what she will produce for the racetrack but how to keep the blood alive - the DNA that produced this wonder-horse. If the Exceed and Excel horse was a filly and maiden, i still wouldn't be selling.
johnny nevin is a legend
Roar Pro
Kv joef, why 'heaven-forbid Frankel' ? His sire Galileo is now a proven sire of sire, Galileo-new approach-dawn approach. Or why not coolmore sires? Fastnet Rock is a proven sire.
peter martin
Roar Rookie
I am fine with the choice - an obvious play to get a 2 year old runner first up. I would have been happier to see her go to street cry, hopefully this will happen at some stage. Kv Joef - if you like your pedigrees have a look at snitzyl - very nice indeed.
kv joef
Guest
A perfect choice. As Drew H said 'proven stallions'. When i first heard the pick, i thought 'hmmm', until i looked at the pedigree going back 10 generations (and more). The foundations are superb combined with beautiful nicks and lines through so many different champion stallions. Look at the way they are using the the Nearco//Northern Dancer line :). And it goes on. WHOEVER selected this stallion really knows their stuff. Absolutely bulletproof sprinter-miler. Resisted the urge to take a punt on breeding the 'super-horse' with a coolmore stallion or heaven-forbid, frankel (good luck with that choice Singo). Look at how many 'super-racehorses' that became notable stallions in this pedigree - from everywhere, Europe, USA, Australia and from every generation. a stunning choice. If they get a chestnut filly, they will be jumping around the lounge room. If they get brown colt, the will be jumping up and down on the bed, having joyful pillow fights. if the get a black - 24 hour armed guard :). If they get a bay ... i still wouldn't mind feeding it ... me and about a million others. Good luck them.
Drew H
Guest
Proven stallions are always the first choice for race-proven broodmares. This is Australia. How could you go past a Danehill sired stallion?????? I was hoping for a rash decision, and a first season sire be chosen. Not today.