The Xcellent one returns.....
 

For those of you who haven't seen his site or read his diary..... :)

http://www.xcellent.co.nz/

The news!

http://www.virtualformguide.com/cgi-...ockfordbay.txt

Welcome back!

Xcellent (NZ) right On track. 27 Apr 2007
(no author listed)


Michael Coleman gave Xcellent (NZ) (Pentire x Excello by Centro) the big "thumbs up" after putting him to his biggest speed test on the comeback trail at Matamata on Thursday morning.

As reported by NZ Racing News, working right-handed on the course proper, Xcellent (NZ) was allowed to stretch out over 600 metres between the 800 and 1400-metre marks and completed the task in 39.8.

Coleman, the multiple group one winner's regular rider, was thrilled with the hitout.

"I couldn't fault him," said Coleman.

"It's the quickest he's been asked to work since he's come back into work and when I let him slide along he felt great.

"He felt a lot better than he did when I rode him at three-quarter pace earlier and he was all right then.

"I've ridden him in work four or five times lately and he's felt better each time."

Trainers Mike and Paul Moroney are both in Australia at present, but the good news of yesterday morning's gallop soon reached them.

"Our foreman Gene Andrew said he worked really well ," said Paul Moroney.

"We've still got a bit more speed to put into his legs and that will tell whether the tendon is going to be all right, but at this stage everything is going well.

"The chiropractor went over him after he worked this morning and he can't fault him.

Xcellent (NZ) holds a nomination for the Gr I $A1 million AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 6 and it's unlikely he will be seen in a race before the Queensland feature.

"If he needs it he could have an exhibition gallop between races somewhere," said Moroney.

Xcellent (NZ) suffered the tendon problem soon after finishing a gallant third to Makybe Diva in the 2005 Gr I Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.

On his way to the Melbourne Cup Xcellent (NZ) had won six of his eight starts, including the Gr I Mudgway Partsworld Stakes (1400m) and Gr I Kelt Capital Stakes (2040m).

He was fresh-up when winning the Mudgway Partsworld Stakes and the impressive manner in which he flew home over the 1400 metres is one of the reasons behind targeting the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) over the same trip.

http://www.thoroughbrednews.co.nz/sp...cing/?id=29030

Already it starts!!!?

I was thinking the same thing....:mad:

Doggone it.

It was pretty good,too!

Hmmmm..... you were well-behaved on Stan's thread, no?

Remember..... if you're gonna email him, you have to call him Stan. He likes that! :D

!!

But who's Stanley?




Actually I made a great post here,but it got darted.

You would have loved it.

You mean this poor horse went through all the trouble of writing a diary and you didn't read it?

Stan is his nickname. :p

I feel so stupid.



Forgive me.

Stan said to tell you it's cool and not to feel bad. :p

Great to see that Xcellent has recovered from his injuries, looked for a while like he may not race again.

However, going into the Stradbroke fresh? 20 months after his last race? That's a massive ask. I really like the horse but the Stradbroke is a tough race (not to mention over a distance short of his best) and I can't say I agree with them targeting it.

There's no guarantee he's the same horse he was before the injury, and I'd prefer to see him eased back into racing rather than dumped straight in at the deep end.

But he is a horse who keeps surprising me - "he can't win the Derby at his 3rd career start", "1400m G1 Mudgway fresh? Can't win...look, he's last with 400 to go!"...

Thanks for your insight. i know nothing about the race, only about the horse so i appreciate it.

Hope he does well and comes home safe.

Me too, his trainer is a guy who knows what he's doing so I'm sure they're confident he'll be able to handle the challenge alright. He's also been entered in the Kelt Stakes in October, that's our biggest race for older horses and it's over 2000m (10f). He won it in 2005, I think that's much more his race.

Can't wait!

The latest.....:)

http://www.racingandsports.com.au/ra...asp?NID=103932

If he runs in the Stradbroke, it will be for a good jaunt around the track.

No chance to win there...

That's okay... he doesn't need to win. :)

Another update..... looking good.

http://www.virtualformguide.com/cgi-...llentpulls.txt

Yea!:)

Any news is good news.....

http://www.racingandsports.com.au/ra...asp?NID=104726

..... AND he wrote in his diary. :D

http://www.xcellent.co.nz/diary.page

Thursday, May 24, 2007
Well folks, I've got some news for you. I can still run like the wind! I found that out this morning when Micky gave me a slap down the shoulder in my jumpout and let me loose. And, boy, did I go, leaving my two stablemates Get Even and Gomez in my dust, well mud actually. This morning I had another jumpout down the back straight at Matamata and this time I heard the boys saying that it was time for me to have a real burnout and I didn't let them down. I've got this jumping from that gates really sorted now and bounded out first. The other two kept with me for 500m but then Micky pushed my button and I quickly upped the tempo and left them in my wake. I felt nowhere near as puffed as I did a couple of weeks ago so I know I'm getting close to racing fitness. Everyone seemed very pleased with me and there was even a camera crew there today so I pranced off the track to give them a bit of a show. I'm a bit of a show off by nature and that's the first time I've seen the cameras for a while. Chrissie tells me that, as long as everything goes to plan, her and I are off to Brisbane a fortnight today. I've kept a nice sleek coat so that I don't look out of place in the sun over there and there's even talk that I might get to show myself off on a beach while I'm there. Time to dust of the speedos... Catch ya soon, Stanley

"Coleman said Xcellent may gallop between races at Ellerslie."

Ooh yes please.

Will you get to watch?

If so.....

LUCKY!

Hopefully, go to almost every Ellerslie race day so should be there.

If I know which race he's going to gallop after I'll try to get down to the rail, too far away up in the stands! (as my avatar shows)

Maybe I should take my camera.

Not now..... must book a flight so i can fly out there just to remind you to please bring your camera! :D

Ummm, my vote is yes, bring it with you.

Wish i could see him in person!

http://www.nzracingnews.co.nz/news-a...ellerslie.html

Before the first race! Have to be there nice and early.

I suggest you leave right now! :D

Did you see him? :)

He didn't gallop today! Must be next Saturday. :confused:

A bit disappointing.

Oh pooh!

Hey, Happy birthday!!! :)

Made you a cake...
http://coolest-birthday-cakes.shippo...se-cake-01.jpg

... but some crazy lady (is that a she???) stole it. Sorry.
http://www.sonomavalleystables.com/n...artybdaysm.jpg

Guess it was his birthday too. Aaaah well, forgiveness. :D

Have fun today.

LMAO, I want a cake like that for my birthday next yearrrr!! Ahaha :).

Happy birthday!

Katy

Okay, next January! :)

Thank you both. :)

Haha! :D

He didn't gallop before the first today...he did after the third! Took me by surprise and I didn't have time to go down to the rail. :(

Watched from the stand though and he looked brilliant. He jogged most of the way around the track, but galloped the last 5f. He was galloping with a maiden stablemate, and drew away from him in the stretch. He broke 1 minute for the 5f, doing it in 58 and change, with the last 4f in 47 and the last 3f in 36.

When they interviewed the trainer after the race he said he was amazed by the work, I think he said he was only expecting him to do the 5f in about 1:02 since the track was rain-affected.

So it's all good news by the sound of it! Flies to Brisbane on Thursday.

Oh! How lovely and wonderful and lucky you for being there even though you had to watch from the stands.

He looked brilliant? Thrilled!

Thank you for the visual..... I'm really excited. I was afraid he'd never come back.

Really, thank you for such good news. :)

I didn't think he'd be back either...but he looks to be back to his old self. He looked quite proud of himself coming back, he was hopping around and full of energy when they took the saddle off him and looked like he wanted to do it again!

Oh I'm almost in tears I'm so happy. :)

Good boy!

Here's a story about it, with a nice little picture of him in the last few strides of the gallop.
http://www.nzracingnews.co.nz/news-a...in-hitout.html

Oh thanks! I've never seen that site before.....

He looks beautiful.

It's Stradbroke day! The track's officially rated Slow, which Xcellent won't like at all, but it looks like the sun is out so hopefully it'll dry out a bit during the afternoon.

He's currently at 17-1. Go X! :D

Maybe he won't like it but he's a miracle so anything can happen.

GO XCELLENT! :)

:(

What happened? I can't find any news or results.

I guess he didn't win but how did he do?