In a renewal with an unexpected outcome as last year's G1 Irish Derby winner and 8-15 favourite Jack Hobbs (GB) (Halling) was tailed off when pulled up with a furlong remaining, Exosphere sprang forward on his 2015 form to provide Sir Michael Stoute with an eighth renewal leaving him just one shy of the record set by Alec Taylor, Jr. Brought along steadily by the Freemason Lodge veteran last term, the homebred started out in the Craven meeting's Wood Ditton S. over a mile in April and ran a non-threatening sixth at 14-1 before sticking at 10 furlongs for the remainder of his low-key campaign. After winning narrowly at 2-5 in a maiden on Lingfield's Polytrack later that month, he followed up in a Classified S. at Doncaster in June and was fourth on soft ground in an Ascot handicap in July. Improving when taking a similarly competitive Sandown handicap in August, the bay who bears a resemblence to his sire was put away after finishing third in the Listed Doonside Cup at Ayr the following month. Tending to over-race for Ryan Moore in fourth early, the bay was still tanking as last year's G1 St Leger heroine Simple Verse took over from the pace-forcing Big Orange approaching the final two furlongs. Taking her measure a half-furlong later, Exosphere powered up the hill to let out Newmarket's best-kept secret as Jack Hobbs came to a halt in the distance. “We've always liked him, but I thought it was a big step up against a Leger winner and an Irish Derby winner,” Moore said. “He's an impressive horse, but I'm a bit surprised he was able to win today. He's obviously improving.” Like the jockey, Khalid Abdullah's racing Manager Teddy Grimthorpe also admitted to an element of surprise afterwards. “It was a fact-finding mission in our minds and although we were confident he'd run well, as he'd been working solidly, our enthusiasm was tempered taking on the Irish Derby winner,” he said. “To do that in that style–I thought he was going too well at one stage–we can start raising our sights now. He fits a great Michael Stoute profile, he lets them mature mentally as well as physically and get into their minds that they have to concentrate and do all the things good horses do. We will look at some exciting races now, something like the [G2] Hardwicke S. [at Royal Ascot June 18] is possible and we have to look at the [G1] Coronation Cup [at Epsom June 4]–he's not in that at the moment, but he's a well-balanced horse.” Trainer Ralph Beckett said of Simple Verse, “I'm very happy, it was always our intention to give her a prep now to help decide what we do next. We are keen to go to the Coronation Cup and this is the perfect preparation for that.”
Trainer John Gosden said of Jack Hobbs, “It's a bit of a mystery, we'll get him checked over.” Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
DUNADEN AT OVERBURY JOCKEY CLUB S.-G2, £100,000, NEW, 4-30, 4yo/up, 12fT, 2:30.92, g/s.
1–#@EXOSPHERE (GB), 126, c, 4, by Beat Hollow (GB)
1st Dam: Bright and Clear (GB) (G1SP-Ity & MGSP-Eng, $148,228), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Shining Water (GB), by Kalaglow (Ire)
3rd Dam: Idle Waters, by Mill Reef
O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute; J-Ryan Moore. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 7-4-0-1, $169,824. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Simple Verse (Ire), 128, f, 4, Duke of Marmalade (Ire)–Guantanamera (Ire), by Sadler's Wells. (€240,000 Ylg '13 GOFORB). O-QRL/Sheikh Suhaim Al Thani/M Al Kubaisi; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Ralph Beckett. £21,500.
3–Big Orange (GB), 127, g, 5, Duke of Marmalade (Ire)–Miss Brown To You (Ire), by Fasliyev. O-W J & T C O Gredley; B-Stetchworth & Middle Park Studs (GB); T-Michael Bell. £10,760.
Margins: 4, 5, 2. Odds: 8.50, 7.00, 7.00.
Also Ran: Restorer (GB), Star Storm (Ire). DNF: Jack Hobbs (GB). Scratched: Agent Murphy (GB).[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]
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