First winner by Excelebration

Excelebration (Ire) filly Natalie Express could not have been more impressive bolting in by five lengths at Le Lion d’Angers on Monday.

The Henri-Alex Pantall trained debutante notched the first win for her sire when trouncing Sageville (Sageburg) and Pure Poesie (Poet’s Voice) in the Prix Mercier-La Vendee (1100m).

Natalie Express (2f Excelebration – Miss Emma May by Hawk Wing) is a homebred for Guy Heald and is a half-sister to the winners Downhill Only and Leader Writer.  They’re from a half-sister to G2 Park Stakes winner Viztoria (Oratorio) and, further back, it’s the family of Zilzal and Polish Precedent.

Coolmore Stud shuttles Excelebration (Exceed And Excel) after a Group 1 winning career in the Prix du Moulin, Prix Jacques le Marois and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.  He had the misfortune to be born in the same year as Frankel and it was no disgrace to be placed behind that freak galloper in the G3 Greenham St, G1 St James’s Place St, G1 Lockinge St, G1 British Champions Mile and G1 Queen Anne St.

There are 67 yearlings in his first southern crop but only one of them made the cut for the Inglis Easter Sale earlier this month.  The colt from Further (More Than Ready) made $80,000.

Excelebration’s service fee has been halved by Coolmore Stud since he first arrived in the Hunter Valley.  A fertility rate below 70% doesn’t help and his asking price has been dropped again to $13,750 (inc gst) this year.

NATALIE EXPRESS

NATALIE EXPRESS