Sistine Demon has struck a purple patch of form winning four races on end, and at the same giving his sire, Excites, a great boost.

Whilst it has all been put together late in the season, for breeding purposes an old proverb says “better late than never,” there is always next season.

Excites, the sire of Sistine Demon, is a lovely style of thoroughbred with stacks of charisma, you seldom look elsewhere when you see the son of Danewin.

He has quite an intriguing pedigree, his fifth dam, Choke, was one of Alec Hunter’s very good mares, she was from the Isa branch of Teppo, who foaled to The Welkin, the three full sisters Isa, Deneb and Trey, were responsible for two Melbourne Cup winners Trivalve and Hall Mark.

Ernest Clarke, of Melton Park, was about to give up on breeding thoroughbreds he ran into more trouble that the early settlers.

An old jumps jockey, Jack Brewer, who was down on his uppers, called into see Clarke, who revealed his tale of woe that he was giving up the business of horse breeding.

Without blinking an eye he asked Clarke for 5000 guineas, (the value of 10 homes in suburbia), to go over to the U K to buy horses for Melton Park

Brewer almost fell off his chair when Clarke handed over the cheque; it included his passage both ways.

With the cheque safely tucked away in his pocket Brewer set out on his mission, months passed by, he finally returned with a stallion and four mares, within four years Clarke became the leading breeder in the state of Victoria.

The stallion was The Welkin, national leading sire three times, Teppo, Light, the dam of Gloaming, Lady Roberts, she left winners of 10 Group 1 races, and Wilga, she proved a success when mated to The Welkin, she produced Kanooka, the dam ofWinooka.

Excites - At Vinery