Lowther hat-trick for Exceed as Threading stakes Classic claims

Threading took her second step on what could prove to be a rapid ascent through the two-year-old ranks on Thursday, as the daughter of Exceed And Excel maintained her unblemished record with a decisive success in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York.

In doing so she provided her sire, Darley's stalwart shuttler Exceed And Excel, with a third winner of the Lowther following on from Best Terms, whose fourth and final career victory came when blazing a trail in the 2011 renewal, and Infamous Angel, who prevailed by just a nose in 2008, the year the race was staged at Newmarket.

The son of the breed-shaping Danehill has also been represented by Margot Did, who was beaten just three-quarters of a length into second by Hooray in 2010, before returning to the Knavesmire 12 months later to land the Nunthorpe.

In the immediate aftermath of Threading's success quotes for next year's 1,000 Guineas started to emerge, but, for all that her pedigree entitles her to be very good, it does not necessarily scream Classic winner in waiting.

Exceed And Excel has cultivated a reputation as one of the finest sires of two-year-olds on both sides of the globe. In fact, 63 of his 136 stakes winners (64 Group winners and 72 Listed scorers) have struck at stakes level at two.

And there is no suggestion that his progeny are not capable of making progress after two: see the likes of Margot Did, Excelebration and Helmet, who all won Group 1s at three, for proof.

But the fact of the matter is that his record as a sire of Classic horses does not quite stand up to the levels of excellence he has achieved in other areas.

He has had just five runners across both the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas. Moreover, two of those finished last - Outstrip in 2014 and Dream Start in 2017 - while the best placing was achieved by Mix And Mingle, who finished a fairly distant seventh to Minding in 2016.

Clearly that is a small sample size from which to draw conclusions, but the sample being so small is perhaps the most salient point.

As trainer Mark Johnston quite rightly pointed out after the race, it is, of course, folly to pigeonhole any particular runner based solely on the exploits of their sire's other progeny. And there are positives to be gained from Threading's female line, which stems from a dynasty forged in the US that has since laid deep roots in Europe.

The main source of hope for her Classic prospects from a pedigree perspective is that her dam, Chaquiras, is an unraced daughter of top-class dirt runner Seeking The Gold and the Shareef Dancer mare Colorado Dancer.

This lineage makes her a sister to joint champion three-year-old European miler Dubai Millennium, who missed the 2,000 Guineas but went on to land the 1999 Prix Jacques le Marois and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes before siring Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Dubawi.

There is additional Classic encouragement further back in the family, with the likes of Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Mehthaaf and last year's 2,000 Guineas third and three-time Group 1-winning miler Ribchester both appearing underneath her third dam, Fall Aspen.

However, only one of Threading's three immediate siblings have scored over as far as a mile, despite all three being by sires whose stamina index rating entitles them to stay further than a daughter of Exceed And Excel.

There is no doubting that Threading could prove to be a most exciting three-year-old, and she may well have already won a Group 1 before she even gets that far.

But, all things considered, she is going to have to defy, rather than conform to, her pedigree if she is to become a Classic winner.