Former Champion Australian sire Exceed And Excel has been retired from stud duties.

A son of Danehill out of the US-bred mare Patrona (Lamond), Exceed And Excel secured $375,000 at the 2002 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale – 2.3 times the sale’s average ($160,780) – for trainer Tim Martin, who reportedly never had a buyer for the horse but declared him a superstar of the future.

Nick Moraitis and Alan Osburg ended up in the ownership, and he developed into a racetrack phenomenon winning the Todman Stakes at two before reaching his prime as a three-year-old, when he won The Dubai Racing Club Cup and Newmarket Handicap – a stellar three-year-old season which also included wins in the G2 Up And Coming Stakes, G2 Royal Sovereign Stakes and the G3 Roman Consul Stakes.

He was declared Australia’s Champion Sprinter in the 2003-04 season.

Exceed And Excel finished his 11-start career with seven wins, six at Group level, with a Timeform rating of 126.

 To date, Exceed And Excel’s 18 G1 winners include stars Mr Stunning, Bivouac, Excelebration, Microphone, Earthquake, Guelph, Exceedance, Mawj and Margot Did,et al.

G1 Golden Slipper Stakes (Overreach, 2013)

G1 Blue Diamond Stakes (Reward For Effort, 2009; Earthquake, 2014)

G1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Helmet, 2011; Guelph, 2013; Microphone, 2019)

G1 Champagne Stakes (Helmet, 2011; Guelph 2013)

G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (Exceedance, 2019; September Run, 2020)

G1 Caulfield Guineas (Helmet, 2011)

G1 Golden Rose (Bivouac, 2019)

G1 Thousand Guineas (Guelph, 2013)

G1 Flight Stakes (Guelph, 2013)

G1 Newmarket Handicap (Bivouac, 2020)

G1 Darley Sprint Classic (Bivouac, 2020)

G1 William Reid Stakes (Flamberge, 2016; September Run; 2022)

Progeny of Exceed And Excel has amassed to date earnings of $270,816,673 for 1,804 winners and 215 Stakes winners.

 He is one of seven sires to achieve 200-plus Stakes winners, joining all-time greats: Danehill, Galileo, Sadler’s Wells, More Than Ready, Deep Impact and Dubawi – he is the only Australian-bred sire to do this.