Exelero – won a cracker today
The Milnerton-based Vaughan Marshall yard are well and truly back to form. They celebrated a winning hat-trick on the Kenilworth Saturday programme, with the Western Winter gelding Exelero producing a sparkling performance after a 17 week break to win the day’s topliner. Avontuur sponsored jockey MJ Byleveld rode all three winners
Now a 5yo, Exelero has always been trumped as something slightly better than he has produced on the track to date – and came out fighting to win a good race in the 1200m R83 000 MR 95 Handicap.
After the lightly weighted Playingtheenemy had shown the way in the nine horse field, Byleveld bounced Exelero into the lead and grabbed a winning march – even having time glance left and right and drop his hands two strides prior to the post.
MJ Byleveld rode three winners
But the handsome 7 to 1 shot Exelero was well in command and he went on to beat the fast finishing Sean Tarry runner Prince Jazeem by 1,25 lengths in a time of 75,17 secs.
The staying sort Sail For Gold showed his class by grabbing third a further neck away.
Captain Blackwater faded late to run fifth, while the 16 to 10 favourite ‘charity champion’ Zubbadubbadoo was always battling and ran a disappointing 6,10 lengths behind the winner.
Exelero was the top-priced colt on the inaugural R2m Ready To Run Sale held at Durbanville in December 2012. While he has some way to go to recoup the R1 million spent to purchase him, he is always worth considering.
Exelero was bred by Lammerskraal Stud and is by Western Winter out of the four-time winning Badger Land mare, Landaulet. He is a full brother to the former Joey Ramsden charge Master Mascus, who ended up in Mauritius after showing early promise.
Vaughan Marshall – back in form
The Ingrid and Markus Jooste owned Exelero has won 4 races – at Scottsville, Clairwood, Turffontein and Kenilworth – and run 7 places from his 18 starts, with stakes earned of R400 075.
Marshall and Byleveld were to the fore in the second and the fourth races, with Even Better (Querari) and Paladin (Jay Peg) shedding their respective maiden certificates. Both run in the partnership of Jane and Ken Truter – the latter enjoying a terrific birthday celebration in the process.
