Black Caviar to go to Exceed And Excel

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.

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