Julius Sandhu enhanced his reputation with products of Snitzel and Overreach when Excess made a winning start to her career at Cranbourne on Thursday.
The three-year-old filly overcame greenness to score an impressive win with Beau Mertens in the saddle in the 1000-metre maiden.
She follows in the footsteps of her older brother Lofty Strike, who thrust Sandhu into the national spotlight when he burst onto the scene with back-to-back wins to start his career and had since gone on to win a Group 2 Rubiton Stakes and place in a Group 1 Newmarket Handicap.
His deeds ensured there would be anticipation around Excess’s debut and Sandhu was relieved to see her get her career off to the perfect start.
“She’s still a bit green obviously but there’s a fair bit of improvement to come,” Sandhu said.
“All she can do is win, it wasn’t an easy race to win, there were some nice horses in there, but she’s got the job done now.”
Excess ($2.90 Boombet.com.au fav) showed good speed from the barriers, took a sit when Revalene ($4) surged to the front but was able to reel in that galloper and go on and score by three-quarters-of-a-length with Indian Jewel ($4.60) two lengths away third.
Excess is the third to race from Overreach, a daughter of Exceed And Excel who won the 2013 Golden Slipper.
First foal Talbragar has won five of seven and was second in this year’s Country Championships Final at Randwick, while she also has a Zoustar two-year-old called Ninette and a yearling filly by Capitalist.
Sandhu got Lofty Strike after his biggest owner, Paul Lofitis, paid $280,000 for the colt at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale but was gifted Excess by the filly’s breeder George Altomonte, who raced Overreach.
With a maiden victory out of the way, Sandhu’s sights now turn to trying to attain some Black Type with the valuable filly.
“At this point in time, obviously the first thing is to see that she pulls up well and does everything that she needs to do back home,” Sandhu said.
“(If she) eats up well and she’s nice and sound and happy, then we’ll look to probably head to The Valley – there’s a race there in about three weeks that we can take her to – or a nice Stakes Listed race on Cup Day that we can go to.
“There are plenty of options. I don’t want to disregard anything at this point in time. She’ll tell us where we are going to go, but clearly with the talent she’s got we’re going to look at something nice.”