Darley’s third-season sires Lonhro and Exceed And Excel completed a feature double at the two-day Grafton Cup carnival this week.

Pinwheel (Lonhro) won the Listed Ramornie Hcp on Wednesday and Liesele (Exceed And Excel) landed a plunge plus an Inglis Bonus on Thursday.

Lustre Lodge owners Brent and Judy Hudson celebrated the win of their homebred filly Liesele in the Southern Cross Ten Inglis Bonus Plate at Grafton on Thursday.  The Jilliby based couple retained Liesele after she failed to meet a $80,000 reserve at the 2009 Inglis Melbourne premier yearling sale.  

Liesele (2f Exceed And Excel-Love’s Here by Dehere) collected a $50,000 Inglis Race Series Bonus, in addition to the $17,500 first prize and $10,000 BOBS Bonus for her impressive win on Grafton Cup day.  She pinched a break in the straight and held off the finishing run of Sincero (Umatilla) to score by a neck.

The Brisbane based filly firmed from $7 to $4.40.  “It was a good win,” winning trainer Liam Birchely said.  “We have always had a lot of time for this filly.  She’s been a bit immature but she’s putting things together now and has a future.”

Liesele’s win was part of a winning quartet for Birchley.  He also prepared Amazing Dane (Danewin), Favela Star (Captain Rio) and Falco Star (Falvelon) on the Grafton Cup card.

Birchley has a good record in Inglis bonus races having saddled up $250,000 Inglis Classic winner Fear No Other (Iglesia) in 2009.  He saddled up
Liesele’s dam Love’s Here won four races in Victoria and was also G2 placed in the Sunline Stakes at Moonee Valley.  The mare has a yearling colt by Flying Spur and a weanling filly by Commands.

The next bonus in the $2.6 million Inglis Race Series comes up this Saturday at Caulfield, where the $70,000 Inglis Bonus Handicap (Race 2) carries a $100,000 bonus for qualified graduates.