Darley sires are on a roll this year with Exceed And Excel leading the charge among the young guns on its Australian roster.

Exceed And Excel (Danehill), Lonhro (Octagonal) and Reset (Zabeel) dominated Australia’s second-season sires’ premiership last season and the trio look set for another big year in 2009-10.

Exceed And Excel is firing on two fronts with his northern-bred stock also making an impact and that’s good news for his three-quarter brother Patronize who is about to commence his second season at Terry Congdon’s Canardly Stud in Western Australia.

Patronize (Redoute’s Choice) was a late inclusion to the Westspeed ranks last year but Congdon was well pleased with the response from WA broodmare owners.

His first foals are beginning to arrive and the latest is a filly from Poliuto mare Malibu Queen that was born on Monday night, August 31.   “She came out galloping,” Congdon joked the morning after.  “The mare is related to Bold Extreme who won a Railway Stakes and the foal is a big, strapping filly.”

Other new-season Patronize foals at Canardly include a colt from My Shiralee (Danetime) and a filly out of Sweet Marebelle (Peintre Celebre).

The colt’s dam My Shiralee is an unraced half-sister to speedy galloper Yaya Lad (Bletchley Park) who won six races in Perth and was runner-up in the G3 Prince of Wales Stakes at Ascot.

Patronize was a $750,000 purchase at the 2004 Inglis Easter Sale but a hoof injury rail-roaded plans for the rich juvenile events the following season.  In fact, it was almost two years before the hoof came right.

“The shell of his hoof became separated from his foot and we couldn’t get him right,” trainer Tim Martin recalled.  “The horse wouldn’t stretch out and the hoof was obviously causing him a great deal of discomfort.

“We decided to give him all the time required because, by then, we knew he had plenty of ability.  We also realised there was residual value as a stallion prospect.”

Patronize finally stepped out in a Gosford maiden as a four-year old and was quick to remind everyone of his potential, demolishing the field to score by two lengths under Hugh Bowman.  The win came just a week after the death of his dam Patrona.

Following his maiden win, Patronize ventured to Newcastle and displayed a devastating turn of foot to win in a tick outside the track record that had been held by Golden Slipper winner Marauding for over 15 years.

Sadly, the hoof injury flared up again and Martin recommended he be retired to stud.  “The injury played havoc with his career,” Martin said.  “He had the potential to be a Group horse.”

Congdon made an offer to base him at Canardly Stud and it was a case of being in the right place at the right time.  “Standing a horse of his calibre was an opportunity too good to pass up.  He would have been a Hunter Valley stallion if he raced injury-free.”

Patronize’s service fee this year is $5,500 (inc gst) with discounts for approved mares.  Congdon can be contacted on 0429 705 863.