THE Danzig (by Northern Dancer) sire line has long been one of the most influential in the world and there are two important branches in Europe: Green Desert and Danehill.
Excelebration represents the latter and he made a promising start as a sire in 2016, including a trio who were placed in listed or pattern company.
He ran three times during his own juvenile campaign, winning at Doncaster and Newmarket, both over six furlongs, but burst onto the international scene with a seven-length classic victory over a mile in Germany before going on to become one of the best European horses over that distance.
His great misfortune was to have been born in the same year as Frankel, whom he chased home in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes, Group 1 Lockinge Stakes and Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes.
The only times that he finished out of the first two in a 15-race career were his debut fourth, when third behind Frankel in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes and when fourth to Wise Dan in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile.
He had an official rating of 126 at three and 129 at four and his is the racing profile of a horse whose offspring will be much better at three and older.
A son of Australian champion sire Exceed And Excel, whose more precocious son Hemlet was a Group 1-siring freshman in 2016, Excelebration is out of Sun Shower, which makes him a half-brother to the prolific pattern winner Mull Of Killough (by Mull Of Kintyre), to the multiple Indian stakes winner Shivalik Showers (by Dancing Forever), and to Lancaster Bomber (by War Front). That Aidan O’Brien-trained colt was runner-up in both the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes last season.
Their grandam, Miss Kemble is out of the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas and Yorkshire Oaks heroine Sarah Siddons and that makes her a half-sister to the Group 1 Irish Oaks star Princess Pati and to Group 2 scorer Seymour Hicks.
Other siblings include the mares from whom the Group 1 stars Leggera and Wicklow Brave descend.
Champion 3yr old colt in Germany in 2011. Champion older horse in Ireland in 2012. Won eight races, £1,692,792, from 6 furlongs to 1 mile, 2 to 4 years including, P. Fresnay le Buffard Jacques Le Marois, Deauville, Gr.1, Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, Longchamp, Gr.1, Qipco Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, CGA Hungerford Stakes, Newbury, Gr.2, Mehl-Mulhens Rennen (2000 Guineas), Cologne, Gr.2, Big Bad Bob Gladness Stakes, Curragh, Gr.3, also placed second in JLT Lockinge Stakes, Newbury, Gr.1, Qipco Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, Queen Anne Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, totesport.com Greenham Stakes, Newbury, Gr.3, and third in St James’s Palace Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1.
Retired to Stud in 2013, and sire of the winners of 26 races, and £295,886, including Fulminato (GER), Pellucid (GB), Istan (GB), etc.
Stands at: Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, Ireland
Contact: Christy Grassick, David O’Loughlin, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Tim Corballis, Maurice Moloney, Gerry Aherne, Mathieu Legars or Jason Walsh
Telephone: +353 (0) 52 6131298
Email: info@coolmore.ie
Web: www.coolmore.com
Fee: €10,000