KEY POINTS:
Michael Coleman looked as if he'd aged 20 years as he took the saddle off Xcellent after yesterday's $200,000 Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie.
Coleman wanted to come up with excuses why Xcellent had just failed to beat gallant winner Sir Slick - and he had a couple - but even he wasn't prepared to take glory away from the magnificent Sir Slick's finest moment.
Xcellent's trainers Mike and Paul Moroney clapped Sir Slick back.
It had to happen one day that Xcellent would lose his unbeaten New Zealand record.
The greatest feature is that he didn't lose it unlucky to a horse lengths inferior, he lost it to a stunning front-running performance by an amazing horse that appears to have come right at exactly the right time and became a million-dollar earner with the victory.
If you want value for money to come to the races, it doesn't get better than Sir Slick toughing it out with Xcellent.
If the win shocked punters, it didn't surprise rider Bruce Herd.
"He came in this season a 60kg bigger horse. With probably the same amount of work it's taken seven races for him to come to the level he got to last preparation."
Herd said he could hear Xcellent coming at him in the closing stages as the big crowd cheered the hot favourite on.
Xcellent took close to half a length off Sir Slick in the final four strides, but Herd said he was never concerned.
"I knew I had him beaten. My bloke always digs in, he's not easy to get past when he's right and he's really right now.
"I actually eased him and virtually sat up close to the line."
If Sir Slick follows his pattern of last season he will get stronger and stronger - or is that fitter and fitter by Herd's reckoning - from this point and find even more remarkable form in the late summer and autumn.
Co-trainer Graeme Nicholson is certain of it, just as he was certain that Sir Slick could beat Xcellent yester-day.
So much so that he wants to run Sir Slick in the $125,000 Rich Hill Mile at Ellerslie next Tuesday.
He'd better be prepared for a shock from the handicapper after beating Xcellent at weight-for-age yesterday.
Sir Slick will be looking at a massive handicap and Nicholson says he might even consider putting his former apprentice Roxanne Rattley on the horse, despite the Rich Hill, because of its group two rating, not being open to apprentice allowances.
"I know there's no allowances, but Roxanne won't shake him up too much if he gets under pressure."
Nicholson says the Rich Hill is a race on the way through and that his main aim is the group one Thorndon Mile at Trentham late next month.
Sir Slick won the Thorndon in January this year, but will face a much tougher task under a massive weight this time.
There is no way you can make a case Xcellent was disappointing.
The Xcellent camp was not looking for excuses.
"Give credit where credit's due," said co-trainer Paul Moroney.
There was not even a slight mention of the fact the stable had had Xcellent checked out after what appeared to be an insect bite swelled up on his neck on race eve.
The affected area had become quite heated, but had checked out well and Xcellent was in top shape yesterday morning, although the stable was duty bound to report the matter to stewards.
In his disappointment, Michael Coleman said a couple of things hadn't gone his way.
"Twinkling was a bit of an issue early then we got back further than I'd anticipated."
Mike Moroney said he had been concerned about Xcellent's chance on the home bend.
"I said to myself that he's got a bit of work to do from back there. Even knowing how good he is, it was going to be an ask.
"On the unbeaten local record, every time you go around you're one run close to it [getting beaten] happening.
"That's out of the way now."
The International meeting at Te Rapa in February is a possible for Xcellent on his way through to a start in the Australian Cup in Melbourne.
Dezigna's third, 1 1/2 lengths back, was almost lost in the excitement.
Alamosa finished fifth 2.8 lengths away and Hayden Tinsley said of 6th-placed Dorabella that she felt like she was looking to stay.
"Either that or she's peaked," he said.
