Xcellent Horse of the Year

He continued to live up to his name at the Mercedes Thoroughbred Racing Awards on Friday night, as Karaka graduate, Xcellent (Pentire x Excelo), secured top honours from industry voters for the second year in a row when he was crowned the 2005-6 New Zealand Horse of the Year.

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�Xcellent - Mercedes Horse of the Year

Winning the Mercedes Champion Weight for Age Performer and Mercedes Champion Stayer categories earlier in the evening - with a courageous third in the Melbourne Cup at his last start no doubt helping to secure that title - it wasn't long before his connections were returning to stage to�claim the big prize of the night.

Represented on the night by his syndidate of owners together with Mike & Paul Moroney, Xcellent secured�two Group 1 victories (Kelt Capital Stakes - 2040m, Mudgway Partsworld� Stakes - 1400m) over the course of last season, with a career tally of an impressive 6 wins from just 9 starts. The colt was forced out�in February this year with a tendon injury but hopes to resume this season.�

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Darci Brahma -��Mercedes Champion Three-Year-Old

It was another New Zealand Bloodstock graduate who took out one of the most hotly debated categories�of the evening, with million dollar yearling, Darci Brahma (Danehill x Grand Echezeaux), securing the Champion Three-Year-Old title. He joins a select few including Our Maizcay, Philippa Rush and Tang to have�won both the Champion Two-Year-Old and Champion Three-Year-Old awards and is the first Karaka sale-topper to have done so.

With Group 1 victories in the Christchurch Casino 2000 Guineas and Otaki-Maori WFA, Darci Brahma beat New Zealand Derby winner, Wahid, and unbeaten filly, Seachange, to�secure the title.

In Australia Darci Brahma was runner-up to Apache Cat in the Gr I Cadbury Australian Guineas, a performance which helped see him voted the highest-rated New Zealander on the Australasian Three-Year-Old Classification, which is decided upon by a panel of leading handicappers.

The walk-over winner of the Mercedes Champion Two-Year-Old title was star juvenile of last season, Jokers Wild (Black Minnaloushe x Miss Rory). His stellar season saw him take home the spoils of both Group 1 races for two-year-olds in New Zealand. A stable-mate of Xcellent, he was an astute purchase by Paul Moroney at the Karaka National Yearling Sales Series.

Click here for further details of the 2005-6 Mercedes Thoroughbred Racing Awards Winners.