The biggest horse in Godolphin’s Australian stable has shown he could also be one of the most talented with his win at Rosehill.
Weighing in at 600kg, Exosphere ($5.50) showed a lightness of foot to come from last in the five-horse field of three-year-olds in Saturday’s Group Two Run To The Rose (1200m).
Bounding
He went to the line 1-1/4 lengths in front of Press Statement ($5) with another Godolphin colt Holler ($11) third, a further half length away.
Favourite Japonisme ($2) and Redzel ($7) finished fourth and fifth.
It was Exosphere’s first start since his failure in the Golden Slipper after which he was found to have cardiac arrhythmia, something trainer John O’Shea said had not bothered him since.
“He is a horse who has come of age,” O’Shea said.
“He is the biggest horse in the yard and he did have a little shin soreness when he was younger.
“But he has had no problems with the cardiac arrhythmia. He was fine that day by the time he got home.”
Exosphere is on the second line of betting at $6 for the Group One Golden Rose alongside Press Statement with Vancouver retaining his place as the TAB’s $2.70 favourite.
The Lonhro colt was ridden by Sam Clipperton who backed up from steering Magic Hurricane home a winner in the Listed Premier’s Cup (1800m).
Clipperton regularly rides for Godolphin but usually has to play second fiddle to James McDonald who is suspended.
“Sam has really come of age,” O’Shea said.
“I told him to go and have a holiday earlier this year and he went away and came back refreshed.
“He rode a really cool race and didn’t give the horse too hard a run so he will benefit from that.”
O’Shea said Exosphere deserved his place in the Golden Rose field but he would then come back in distance from the 1400m.
“He is a very fast horse and he will be here in a couple of weeks,” he said.
“But after that I think I would like to see him down the straight at Flemington in a fast-run 1200 metres in the Coolmore Stud Stakes.”
That race is also a target for Press Statement whose trainer Chris Waller has won the Group One sprint for the past two years with Brazen Beau and Zoustar, the 2013 Golden Rose winner.
