Cotai Glory

COTAI GLORY displayed all the attributes of his sire Exceed And Excel in a racing career that endured over four seasons and 30 starts, often in the highest class.

A true sprinter who excelled over 5f, Cotai Glory won the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes on his fifth start for trainer Charlie Hills, doing it the hard way from the front.

At three he beat Kingsgate Native to win the Listed Scarbrough Stakes, but it was at four when Cotai Glory really came into his own. He ran Profitable to a neck when second in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes, finishing ahead of Mecca’s Angel, Move In Time and Jungle Cat. He was a close fourth in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes behind Marsha, Limato and Take Cover, finishing ahead of Profitable, Goldream, Sole Power and Brando. He added a second Group 3 success when winning the 5f World Trophy by a head from subsequent Group 1 winner Alpha Delphini.

His fourth season was his busiest with ten of his lifetime starts coming when he was five years old demonstrating his soundness, mentality and durability. He again was placed in the Nunthorpe this time third behind Marsha and Lady Aurelia, beating Battaash into fourth with Profitable, Alpha Delphini and Goldream further behind.

He was also second in the Grade 2 Nearctic Stakes over 6f at Woodbine and was second to Take Cover in Newbury’s World Trophy.

As a sire Exceed And Excel’s achievements in two hemispheres are remarkable and his northern-hemisphere sons are developing his line. His multiple Group 1 winner Excelebration begot Barney Roy, a tough and talented Group 1 winner, while Bungle Inthejungle, whose oldest runners are just four, has sired a Group winner in each of his first two crops.

Cotai Glory shares his dam-sire Elusive Quality with none other than 2018’s leading European first-season sire No Nay Never.

In his first season he covered 171 mares, including Allegheny River, an unraced half-sister to Listed Rochestown Stakes winner and Irish 2,000 Guineas third He’s A Decoy, and to Danetime, third in both the Group 1 July Cup and Haydock Park Spring Cup. The daughter of Lear Fan has a yearling colt by Cotai Glory.

Folegandros Island, dam of 2019’s Group 2 Mehls-Muehlen Rennen winner and Group 2 Prix Jean Prat third Fox Champion (Kodiac), delivered a colt closely related to her German Classic-winning son, for breeder Con Marnane.

At the 2019 foal sales, the first crop was received positively with 41 changing hands with an average price of 12,869gns and a median of 8,580gns. The most expensive of Cotai Glory’s first foals was a colt out of Sommorell, a Fast Company half-sister to the Group 1 winner Ransom O’War, and to the dam of Australian Group 1-placed Spieth and Star Of The Sea. Consigned by Hill House Stud at Goffs November Sale he was bought for €62,000 by Yeomanstown Stud.

Belmont Stud sold a Cotai Glory half-brother to Blandford Bloodstock for 39,000gns at the Tattersalls December. His dam is a Invincible Spirit half-sister to the dam of Group 1 St Leger third Sir Ron Priestley.

Racing Form

30 runs, four wins, ten places | Best Timeform Rating: 117 | Average winning distance: 5.05f

Stakes form

AT 2 Won bet365 Molecomb Stakes, Goodwood, Gr.3, (5f. beating Fast Act (IRE) and Beacon (GB)), second in Compton Estates Rose Bowl Stakes, Newbury, L., (to Limato (IRE)).

AT 3 Won J20 Spritz Scarbrough Stakes, Doncaster, L., (5f. beating Kingsgate Native (IRE) and Speed Hawk (USA)), third in John Smith’s City Walls Stakes, York, L., (to Out Do (GB)).

AT 4 Won Dubai International Airport World Trophy, Newbury, Gr.3, (5f. beating Alpha Delphini (GB) and Ridge Ranger (IRE)), second in King’s Stand Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, (to Profitable (IRE)), Apollobet Achilles Stakes, Haydock Park, L., (to Take Cover (GB)).