BIG PLANS FOR DAUGHTER OF EKRAAR

Stoney Bridge based sire Ekraar is making an emphatic impact on Australian soil through the deeds of two of his daughters , four year old mare Vivid Vixen and three year old filly Exceptionally, with both claiming notable victories in Victoria on Anzac Weekend. The win by Exceptionally recorded the first Stakes victory in Australia for her sire Ekraar, a half-brother to another successful Australian based sire Hussonet. The Mick Price-trained Vivid Vixen ( out of the Gaius mare Pompeia ) made it a hat trick of wins , and her fourth win from only nine career starts , when lumping 57.0 kgs to victory in the $70,000 F&M The Journal Handicap at Sandown on Saturday. It was a decisive two and three-quarter length victory by Vivid Vixen over the 1800 metre journey and she is shaping as a formidable staying mare of the future. Twenty four hours later another of Ekraar's young daughter's Exceptionally ( out of the Zabeel mare Sahayb ) posted another prestigious win for her sire with a dour three-quarters of a length win in the Listed $200,000 Listed VRC St Leger over 2800 metres at Flemington, grinding down the Lee Freedman-trained Galileo filly and favourite Gallant Lady and the Zabeel gelding Sherpa Tenzing. This win gave Stawell trainer Terry O'Sullivan his second VRC St Leger having formerly trained Dolphin Jo to victory in this race before that horse went on to run 15th and 5th in consecutive Melbourne Cups. The VRC St Leger is a Melbourne Cup qualifying race and the nature of Exceptionally's victory immediately prompted co-trainer Terry O'Sullivan ( he is in a training partnership with daughter Karina ) to aim the filly at this year's 150th Melbourne Cup. O'Sullivan has little doubt that Exceptionally will stay 3200 metres , a view shared by successful jockey Danny Nikolic and senior owner Kingsley Peach who purchased the stunning looking daughter of Ekraar at the Adelaide Magic Millions Sale for $62,000. Exceptionally was bred in New Zealand by Matamata based Stoney Bridge stud farm who retain ownership of her dam the Zabeel mare Sahayb who is currently back in foal to Ekraar.