Thermal Current Back to Best

Tara Madgwick - Thursday November 8
Eight year-old Exceed and Excel gelding Thermal Current had not won a race since February 2017, but ended the drought in style at Flemington on Oaks Day with a dazzling last to first win in the Listed VRC Absolut Stakes (1000m).



Prepared by Darren Weir and ridden by Craig Williams, Thermal Current had been racing consistently and rediscovered his best form to fly home from last under a cold ride from Craig Williams to snatch a narrow win.

Thermal Current on the left in lime green - images Grant Courtney"I did push the button extremely late, but he really flew when I asked him," said Williams.

A homebred for Contract Racing, Thermal Current has the overall record of eight wins and 15 placings from 53 starts with prizemoney in excess of $800,000.

"You have to do everything right on this horse to win and he(Craig) did it," said Darren Weir.

"He has to be ridden really quiet, so he can relax and show that sharp turn of foot."

Thermal Current is out of stakes-winner Soaressa, a half-sister to Group I winner Eagle Way and stakes-winners Assertive Eagle and Impressive Eagle.

Soaressa has a yearling filly by Exceed and Excel and had a colt this spring by Astern.

Thermal Current is the fourth stakes-winner this season for Darley's champion sire Exceed and Excel and continues a great run of success over the Flemington Carnival for the Darley sires.

Advertisment
More Reading...
15th G1 Winner for Exceed and Excel
Turning 20 this year, Darley’s champion sire Exceed and Excel has just finished a super successful Magic Millions Sale that saw him with 24 yearlings average $398,542 to be the third leading sire by average and in South Africa on Saturday he posted a 15th Group I winner.
Picture of Success
When you decide to go all in on a new stallion, you need to be prepared for a long wait until you see the full picture resulting from your actions begin to emerge and you live in hope that it looks something like this.
Debut Winner for St Marks Basilica Highlights Sales Potential
The second crop of yearlings by European Horse of the Year St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) will hold plenty of interest for Aussie investors in 2026 with a debut winner at Wolverhampton in the UK overnight giving him 23 2YO winners this year in the Northern Hemisphere.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Randwick
Four heats for juveniles at Randwick on Tuesday morning and brilliant filly Shiki will have tightened her grip on favouritism for the $3million Magic Millions 2YO Classic next month following this dazzling display.
A New Benchmark for Edinburgh Stud
An emotional Ian Smith watched on as bidding reached $1 million for Edinburgh Stud’s stunning Exceed And Excel colt out of the Smoke Glacken mare Smokin’ Alice (USA) to set a new benchmark for the stud.
La Dorada Seeking Fresh Start in NZ
Group One winner La Dorada will make her New Zealand return at Te Rapa this weekend following a frustrating spring in Melbourne.
Syndicate Owners Enjoying the Provence G1 Ride
Brent Cooper’s band of syndication supporters enjoyed a weekend to remember with a winning double headed by star racemare Provence in the Gr. 1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m).
Exceed And Excel's Athelric Rewarded for Consistency
It was a 1-3 for Godolphin in Saturday’s Listed Queensland Day Stakes (1200m) for three-year-olds at Eagle Farm.
Aushorse Release 2026 Investors Guide
We are very proud to release the 2026 Aushorse Investor’s Guide. Each year, this publication offers a snapshot of the strength, momentum and global appeal of Australian racing and breeding, and the story it tells in 2026 is exceptional.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday December 9
Here is the full list of 23 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.