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Settling challenge for Excelleration in Adelaide Cup

Excelleration aiming to be first horse to win Launceston Cup/Adelaide Cup double in 15 years on Monday.

EXCELLERATION.
EXCELLERATION. Picture: Sharon Chapman

Excelleration is a horse in form and with a jockey who is just the same, trainer Richard Cully is hoping those positives continue as his seven-year-old galloper steps up to the two miles of the Group 2 Adelaide Cup on Monday.

For Cully, taking on a race over 3200-metres is an achievement in itself as he has been trying 'for years' to get Excelleration up to such a trip.

Despite that effort, the niggle for Cully is whether Excelleration will be able to stay the distance, though that doubt might be seeded by the many attempts to get him there.

"The distance is a bit of a question mark but there have been a few bumps in the road trying to get out to it," Cully said.

"Trying to get him to have three or four runs in a prep to get him out there in trip (has been difficult) but I don't think it will bother him.

"He hasn't had injuries along the way but little things like an operation for a growth on his throat, then he banged a tendon which didn't do any damage but he had to have time off, and as a young horse he went off in the float so he had six months off after that."

Cully was unable to be in Tasmania to witness Excelleration provide him with his training career highlight to date when winning the Group 3 Launceston Cup (2400m).

Bushfires at the time put his Ballarat base at risk but luck was similarly in on that front as the wind direction changed with the blaze approaching just two kilometres from his property.

Harry Coffey retains the ride and has the challenge of breaking a 15-year drought for Launceston Cup winners parlaying success in the Adelaide feature with Zavite the last to complete the double in 2009.

The Phillip Stokes-trained Amade is the Adelaide Cup topweight with 58-kilos while Excelleration has been allotted 53.5-kilos – an advantage that Cully is happy to take.

"He does need to race to relax but he has the ability.

"The light weight will really help him as the first 600 or 800-metres that will tell the tale.

"I don't think he'll relax but he'll need to just enough not to overrace."

Amade is at $5.50 across markets while Excelleration is $8.50.

Fresh from her victory in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday, Jamie Kah returns to her home state to ride the $2.50 favourite The Map.


Racing and Sports



Morphettville Monday, 11th March 2024

1m7f200y TURF GOOD
AUD $356,500

TAB Adelaide Cup (G2)

AUD $356,500
Age: 3yo and up Type: OPEN
1m7f200y TURF GOOD
FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 3. EXCELLERATION (AUS) 7yo G
EXCELEBRATION (IRE) - RARE SUBJECT (AUS)
HARRY COFFEY
RICHARD CULLY
$4
53.5kg
R O Nicholson, A McLaren, D Beech, B A Cooper, G A Thorson, B A Thorson, D D Thorson, C A McLaren, M Moutsias & P Adams

Sales Information

2nd 4. THE MAP (AUS) 5yo M
ALPINE EAGLE (AUS) - THIS MOMENT (AUS)
JAMIE KAH
DAN CLARKEN & OOPY MACGILLIVRAY
$3.8
53kg
Mrs J A MacGillivray, D J Clarken, R A Sadek, P Cousins, G V Davidson, Mrs B R Davidson, B R Hayden, South East Connections (Mgr: R S Dix) & Gambling Graziers (Mgr: A B Prior)

Sales Information

3rd 5. SKELM (AUS) 9yo G
ANIMAL KINGDOM (USA) - LAJOIE (AUS)
MICHAEL POY
T D KELLY
$26
53kg
Mrs A J Bridges, J A Charles, A A Agterhuis, R L Faulkhead, A P Evans, M F McDonald, R E Bowman, A J De Jong, A L Britten, C B Powell, E Powell, R J Gray, S McNish, J Werts, F J O'Donnell, N Beacham, Werribee Dux (Mgr: G J Welsh) & Welcome Strangers (Mgr: A L Britten)

Sales Information

4th 1. AMADE (IRE) 10yo G
CASAMENTO (IRE) - SHEBA FIVE (USA)
ZAC SPAIN
PHILLIP STOKES
$8
58kg

Sales Information

5th 15. ROARING ENGINE (NZ) 4yo G
RELIABLE MAN (GB) - ARAPAHO MISS (AUS)
KAYLA CROWTHER
DANNY O'BRIEN
$26
53kg

Sales Information

6th 11. ONE LAST KISS (AUS) 4yo M
TORONADO (IRE) - ST TRINIANS (AUS)
LUKE CURRIE
DAN O'SULLIVAN
$17
53kg

Sales Information

7th 7. YELLOWBRICK ROAD (IRE) 5yo G
GOLDEN HORN (GB) - CRYSTAL PATH (IRE)
JYE MCNEIL
PATRICK KEARNEY
$5.5
53kg

Sales Information

8th 12. SANDASTAN (AUS) 5yo G
EPAULETTE (AUS) - STATUS QUO (AUS)
SAIRYN FAWKE
GARRET LYNCH
$41
53kg

Sales Information

9th 2. ALHAMBRA LAD (NZ) 6yo G
PROISIR (AUS) - MISS RELENTLESS (NZ)
DEAN YENDALL
PATRICK PAYNE
$12
53.5kg
10th 8. PORT GUILLAUME (FR) 7yo G
LE HAVRE (IRE) - KEIRA (FR)
JASON HOLDER
BEN, WILL & JD HAYES
$51
54kg

Sales Information

11th 16. EIGHT ON THE DOT (NZ) 5yo G
EL ROCA (AUS) - READY AT EIGHT (AUS)
BEN PRICE
SCOTT WHITTLE
$201
53kg

Sales Information

12th 9. LINCOLN KING (NZ) 9yo G
SHOCKING (AUS) - SHI KIN FLY (NZ)
DOM TOURNEUR
KATHRYN DURDEN
$61
53kg

Sales Information

13th 17. TULLAGHAN (NZ) 6yo G
AL MAHER (AUS) - TULLY THUNDER (AUS)
JEFFREY MAUND
TREVOR DAY
$201
53kg

Sales Information

14th 14. RAPINOE (NZ) 6yo M
SAVABEEL (AUS) - PEPINIERE (IRE)
ALANA KELLY
PETER CHOW
$101
53kg

Sales Information

15th 13. OCEANIC FLASH (NZ) 6yo G
SACRED FALLS (NZ) - PINOT GRIS (NZ)
KERRIN MCEVOY
ANDREW PAYNE
$31
53kg

Sales Information

16th 6. GRAND PIERRO (AUS) 4yo G
PIERRO (AUS) - LE SOCIETE (AUS)
CRAIG WILLIAMS
JASON WARREN
$11
53kg

Sales Information

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