Reformed sprinter set for city redemption

Tuesday 2 July 2013, 4:04pm

A horse destined for an early retirement will be out to make the most of a second chance at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

Exceed And Exalt's racing days looked over when he buck jumped his way out of a race at Newcastle in January.

It wasn't the first time Exceed And Exalt's recalcitrant nature had tested the patience of stewards and trainer Guy Walter even suggested the four-year-old should be retired.

But after one of the horse's owners remembered a conversation with Lucy Longmire, Exceed And Exalt's fortunes have taken a turn for the better.

Longmire rides trackwork at Walter's Goulburn stable and she had always taken a shine to a horse she describes as "pretty good-looking".

"I mentioned to one of the owners that I would like to have the horse when he finished racing," Longmire said.

"And then after Newcastle, Guy didn't have the time to resolve his issues so the owners asked me if I would like to help out and I said `I would love to'."

A later trackwork schedule, some showjumping training and a massage machine have been used to coax the best out of Exceed And Exalt.

"He's a feisty little fella and I work him later in the mornings when the track is not so busy and he likes the one-on-one attention," Longmire said.

In spite of his obvious issues, Exceed And Exalt managed to win two races for Walter and it may not be a racing career of unfulfilled promise judging the horse's three runs for his new trainer.

Exceed And Exalt returns to city racing in the TAB Iphone App Handicap (1400m) on Wednesday after winning a race at Wagga Wagga last month on a heavy track.

The Warwick Farm race offers a rare city opportunity for jockey Patrick Murphy because Longmire says he has been an integral part of the comeback.

"They are getting on really well and we don't want to change that combination at all," she said.

– AAP

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