Exosphere is a giant colt with a motor to match.
And former champion jockey Darren Beadman can also see similar traits between the rising star three-year-old and his sire Lonhro.
Exosphere
“He’s got a great turn of foot and a great presence about him – 600 kilos of horse flesh,” Beadman said.
“He’s a lot like his dad, Lonhro. He’s got a presence about him.
“He’s a very casual, laconic type of horse and really saves his energy for the time that it’s needed on track,” Beadman said.
“And when you release the brakes on him you can see that quality there.”
Beadman rode champion Lonhro to 10 of his 11 Group One wins and Exosphere is one of two sons of the stallion to represent Godolphin in Saturday’s Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.
Beadman has been assistant to Godolphin’s Australian trainer John O’Shea since his boss started in the job in May last year.
Exosphere is the $1.40 favourite having won five of his seven starts including convincing wins in all three races this preparation including the Group One Golden Rose.
O’Shea thinks barrier two could be less than ideal for Exosphere in the straight-track sprint but Beadman says jockey James McDonald knows the colt well.
Stablemate Mogador was beaten by Exosphere in their two meetings last season but the stable said he was capable of running a big race in the Coolmore.
He shares the second line of betting at $11 with Keen Array, the David Hayes and Tom Dabernig-trained colt which beat him last start in the Blue Saphhire Stakes at Caulfield.
“Mogador’s run the other day at Caulfield was outstanding,” Beadman said.
“They went steady in the race, he got left a bit flat-footed and in his first time around Caulfield it just took him a while to get his bearings when they sprinted. He’s come out of that race really well.”
Singapore colt Super One suffered his first defeate in his Australian debut at Cranbourne as a short-priced favourite earlier this month but his jockey Hugh Bowman said he expected him to improve.
“This is a fast horse. He’ll be setting a good pace and if he can run a strong 1200 metres up the straight he’ll certainly give the favourite something to catch,” Bowman said.
