The Listed MRC Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) at Caufield on Saturday was deep in quality with runners including Melbourne Cup winner Vow and Declare, Australian Derby winner Angel of Truth, VRC Oaks winner Miami Bound, G1 Metrop winner Mirage Dancer and expensive import English King (GB), bought for a whopping 925,000 guineas from the 2020 Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale, but victory went to a mare that is a flagbearer for breed to race owners.
A homebred for Monomeith Stud Farm as was her mother Hold the Lion, seven year-old Reward for Effort mare No Effort scored her first Black type success when taking out the Heatherlie.
She’s no one hit wonder, having built a great record over her career which started late given she was not broken in until she was well into her three year-old year.
With 10 wins and 12 placings from 44 starts and prizemoney approaching $700,000, No Effort has become the most successful horse by quite a margin in the first three dams of her pedigree page.
Going back further is the best of European staying blood which explains where she gets her stamina as her fourth dam Ripeck is a celebrated blue hen by Ribot that left six stakes winners headed by Group I winners Buoy (Epsom Coronation Cup) and Bireme (Epsom Oaks).
The Blue Diamond winning son of Exceed and Excel stood for $11,000 in his first five seasons at Chatswood Stud before rising to $16,500 for his next four seasons and is now back at $11,000 as he was last year.
No Effort is one of eight stakes-winners for Reward for Effort, who runs at over 62% winners to runners and has had good success in Hong Kong where he has had 10 winners from 16 runners.
His sire Exceed and Excel is beyond the reach of most breeders standing at Darley at a fee of $132,000 and his high profile younger sire sons Bivouac, Microphone and Exceedance are likewise far above the budget of the breed to race demographic, with Reward for Effort offering the same bloodline with a proven record for success at a fraction of the price.
Above is a list of all the Exceed and Excel sons available this spring and one to take note of is Reward for Effort’s full brother Outreach, who stands at Widden Stud at a fee of just $4,400.
With his oldest progeny just turned four, Outreach has already posted five winners since August 1 and his overall career stats show 35 winners from 80 runners highlighted by stakes-winner Turk Warrior and stakes-placed Outback Jack and Outbound.
Champion sire he is not, but becoming a reliable source of winners for breed to race broodmare owners he most definitely is.
