Excelebration’s connections testing him in a different direction at the Breeders’ Cup
It did not take Excelebration much time to prove that his racing abilities without the intimidating Frankel, were nothing less than remarkable. Exceed And Excel’s colt has never lost against Frankel without a fair fight right until the wire, and has ended as the runner-up against him at four out of the five race tracks the two shared.
With the world’s best race horse off for his stud duties at four, the tracks are wide open for the Aidan O’Brien trained to rule over. The Owenstown Stud bred has won all the important races assigned to him unless the mighty Frankel was not in the line-up.
After losing a fifth time behind the Sir Henry Cecil’s best ever conditioned, the connections resorted to never racing their under charge in his shadows again. The connections are sending him for contesting the Breeders’ Cup, and as for right now, have no plans of retiring the colt.
Excelebration lost the 2011 edition of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes by four lengths behind Frankel, and winning it by three lengths from Cityscape this year proved loud out that the obstacle to his unprecedented success was Frankel.
Before this, the four-year-old had landed the Group 1 Prix Du Haras De Fresnay-Le-Buffard on 12th August, 2012 at Deauville over a mile.
O'Brien said: "He's in good form and I hope he travels there well. We think he's a very exceptional horse. He's getting quicker and stronger and has progressed very well”.
"He has top form in every kind of ground, I don't think ground is important to him.”
"I'm not sure if he'll run again after America, it's not a decision for me really."
"He's very well and we were obviously delighted with him at Ascot. He has top form on all kinds of ground."
They team has picked out for him a unique challenge. His stable mates have travelled, raced and won in American fields, but for him it will be an altogether new experience. The race and the alien environment will be a true test for his potential and ability. The race can prove out to be career defining and can also prove otherwise too.
There will not be a lot of British contenders in the field, so the nature of competition for Excelebration will be novel too.
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