Excellent Eccellere a lift for Litt

Eccellere has put a smile back on Richard Litt’s face after the retirement of stable star Song And Laughter.

Sent out at $31 in Wednesday’s Benchmark 67 (1100m), scored a 2-3/4 length win for the Warwick Farm trainer.

“That was wonderful. I said to Deanne (Panya) put your foot down and she did,” Litt said.

“She’s a good little mare. We lost our way with her but we got things right. She’s back.”

Eccellere started her racing career with Gerald Ryan in 2014 then made her way to Litt’s father Jim’s stable before returning to Ryan last September.

Richard Litt took over training the four-year-old in January, a year after he took over from his father who has returned to New Zealand.

“She won at Mudgee and she won at Dubbo when we had her the first time,” Litt said.

“I thought she might be outclassed but she’s getting better and better. She’s got a few more wins in her.”

Eccellere’s third win in 28 starts was some consolation for losing Song And Laughter, who won six times, leaving the stable to become a broodmare.

“She was a good mare to us, a very sentimental mare to us,” Litt said.

Litt, who previously worked for Graeme Rogerson, John O’Shea and Bart Cummings, only has a small team in work so he was understandably rapt when Panya kicked Eccellere clear.

“We’ve only got 13,” he said.

“We get major support from Gerry Harvey, who keeps our stable going.

“We’re very lucky to have the people that we’ve got.”