EXCELEBRATE GOOD TIMES!
   Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor's Excelebration (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) had been beaten so many times by Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) that he was beginning to look ordinary, but he proved in yesterday's G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois at Deauville that he's far from that as he enjoyed a rare day in the sun away from his other-wordly nemesis. Partnered by Christophe Soumillon after Ryan Moore's fall earlier on the card, the 11-5 favorite was sent past the long-time leader Elusive Kate (Elusive Quality) and Cityscape (GB) (Selkirk) passing the furlong pole en route to a 1 1/4-length success from the latter. "This horse deserves to win another Group 1, as he's been chasing Frankel on so many occasions and is a good horse in his own right," commented Tom Goff, representing Coolmore. The race is a Breeders' Cup "Win And You're In" event for the GI Breeeders' Cup Mile, and Excelerbrate is thus guaranteed a berth in the starting gate at Santa Anita in November if his connections choose that route. 

Sunday, Deauville, France
PRIX DU HARAS DE FRESNAY-LE-BUFFARD - JACQUES LE MAROIS-G1, €600,000, Deauville, 8-12, 3yo/up, c/f, 1mT, 1:34.60, gd.
1--EXCELEBRATION (IRE), 130, c, 4, by Exceed and Excel (Aus)
        1st Dam: Sun Shower (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
        2nd Dam: Miss Kemble (GB), by Warning (GB)
        3rd Dam: Sarah Siddons (Fr), by Le Levanstell (Ire)
(€15,000 wnlg '08 GOFNOV; £20,000 yrl '09 DONAUG). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Owenstown Stud; T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Christophe Soumillon; €342,840. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Ger at 7-9.5f, GSW & MG1SP-Eng, GSW-Ger & Ire, 13-7-4-1, €1,233,046. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.

2--Cityscape (GB), 130, h, 6, Selkirk--Tantina, by Distant View. O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms; T-Roger Charlton; €137,160.
3--Elusive Kate, 120, f, 3, Elusive Quality--Gout de Terroir, by Lemon Drop Kid. ($70,000 yrl '10 KEESEP). O-Teruya Yoshida; B-Clovelly Farms; T-John Gosden; €68,580.   

Margins: 1 1/4, NK, HD. Odds: 2.20, 25.00, 5.80.
Also Ran: Moonlight Cloud (GB), Caspar Netscher (GB), Tin Horse (Ire), Golden Lilac (Ire), Immortal Verse (Ire), Indomito (Ger), Fallen For You (GB), Most Improved (Ire).
Click for the Racing Post chart or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. Click for Equidia video.
   Excelebration's sole top-level success prior to yesterday had also come in France, when taking a brief respite from the repeated Frankel-bashings he was receiving on home soil to garner the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in September. Switched to Ballydoyle at the end of his 3-year-old campaign with Marco Botti, he returned to win the G3 Gladness S. over seven furlongs on soft ground at The Curragh Apr. 22 and was prepared for another tilt at the monster of Warren Place in Newbury's G1 Lockinge S. Five lengths second in that May 19 contest, that margin became 11 in the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot a month later, but with Frankel taking a step up to a mile and a quarter now, the path is clear for the admirably consistent Excelebration to reap the benefits. With Ryan Moore stood down by the racecourse doctors after taking a fall from Havana Gold (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the Listed Francois Boutin, it was left to Soumillon to do the steering, and he was beginning to work as Frankie Dettori pushed Elusive Kate's buttons approaching the final quarter mile. That filly had all rivals on the stretch with the acceleration that had won her the G1 Prix Rothschild here two weeks ago, but the prominently ridden Excelebration and Cityscape managed to usurp her with a furlong to race, and it was the former's extra measure of speed that told from there. Last week's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Moonlight Cloud (GB) (invincible Spirit {Ire}) ran with real credit on only her second try at a mile, finishing with a late flourish having been held up in rear and meeting traffic on the way through, while the true disappointment of the race was Most Improved (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}). Keen throughout the first half of the race, the G1 St James's Palace S. scorer was eased down to finish tailed off. Cityscape's trainer Roger Charlton was on hand to pay tribute to the reliable runner-up and said, "He ran an excellent race again, and the ground and track were perfect for him. He's been such a consistent horse from his 2-year-old days, and so I can't complain."