AN outstanding miler who was never out of the first four in 15 lifetime starts, Excelebration won three Group 1 events over that distance and would have won three more, if he had not had the misfortune to be born in the same year as the mighty Frankel. Rated as one of the top three horses in training in Europe in 2012, Excelebration won eight races in four countries over three seasons and was four times second to Frankel, earning more than €2,000,000.

Excelebration retired to Coolmore to stand his first season there in 2013 and he is now at an even more tempting fee of €17,500 in 2015, even though his first crop of more than 80 foals fetched some very high prices last year. There were 16 of them sold, for the third highest first crop sire average of €75,292, below only Frankel and Nathaniel. Six of those 16 were sold for six-figure prices, with a highest of €220,000 for the colt out of Four Eleven at Goffs November Sale.

FRANKEL

The comfortable winner of the last two of his three starts as a two-year-old, Excelebration twice ran up against Frankel early in his three-year-old career, finishing second to him in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes, then a close third in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. In between those his trainer Marco Botti sent Excelebration to Cologne for the Group 2 German 2000 Guineas, the Mehl-Mulhens Rennen, which he won by seven lengths, then at Newbury in August he had another runaway victory in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes, scoring by six lengths from Beacon Lodge. He went to Longchamp to defeat Rio De La Plata by a length and a half in the Group 1 Prix du Moulin, ending the 2011 season with another second to Frankel in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.

Bought during the winter by Coolmore and transferred to Aidan O’Brien’s stable, Excelebration scored an easy victory in the Group 3 Gladness Stakes at the Curragh in April, before two more seconds to Frankel in Newbury’s Group 1 Lockinge Stakes and the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. In August he went to Deauville to defeat Cityscape and Elusive Kate in the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois, then beat those two again more easily by three lengths in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. He was probably feeling the effects of a long season when fourth to American champion Wise Dan in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile, held at Santa Anita. Timeform gave Excelebration the very high rating of 133 in Racehorses of 2012.

Excelebration is by far the biggest earner sired by Exceed And Excel, one of many top performers sired by Danehill in Australia and a champion sprinter there, with two Group 1 wins including the Newmarket Handicap and three Group 2 events. Retired to stud in England before moving to Ireland and with runners for only seven seasons, Exceed And Excel has already sired 87 blacktype winners, among them the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes winner Margot Did, the Breeders’ Cup hero Outstrip and another triple Group 1 star in Australia, Helmet, who broke the track record in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas. Altogether, Exceed And Excel has sired winners of over 2,300 races worldwide and £20,000,000.

Sun Shower, the dam of Excelebration, is a daughter of Indian Ridge and has bred two other winners, including Mull Of Killough, who twice scored in the Group 3 Earl of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket and also won the Group 3 Darley Stakes. Her dam is a half-sister by Warning to the Group 1 Irish Oaks heroine Princess Pati and to Seymour Hicks, winner of the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes and sire of a good number of winners. Their dam was the top-class filly Sarah Siddons, a daughter of Le Levanstell who completed a Group 1 double in the Irish 1000 Guineas and the Yorkshire Oaks, so there is plenty of good outcross blood on the dam’s side of Excelebration’s pedigree.

EXCELEBRATION (IRE)

Race record: Winner of eight races and £1,692,792, from 2-4 years, from 6-8 furlongs, inc Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, Gr.1, Prix Jacques le Marois, Deauville, Gr.1, Hungerford Stakes, Newbury, Gr.2, German 2000 Guineas, Cologne, Gr.2, and Gladness Stakes, Curragh, Gr.3; 2nd in Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, Lockinge Stakes, Newbury, Gr.1, Queen Anne Stakes, Royal Ascot, Gr.1, and Greenham Stakes, Newbury, Gr.3; 3rd in St James’s Palace Stakes, Royal Ascot, Gr.1; 4th in Breeders’ Cup Mile, Santa Anita, Gr.1.

Stud record: Retired to stud in 2013. His first crop are yearlings in 2015.

Stands at: Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, Ireland. Enquiries to 052 6131298, or visit www.coolmore.com.

Fee: €17,500 (October 1st).