Lonhro’s Exosphere Launches to Group 1 Golden Rose Victory

Exosphere hardly looked like a Group 1 horse when finishing last of 16 in the G1 Golden Slipper in March, but the Godolphin colorbearer has well and truly put that lackluster effort behind him with a pair of resounding victories this season, topped by yesterday’s G1 Golden Rose romp. Seventh on debut at Rosehill last November, Exosphere was then shelved until Valentine’s Day, when he romped by more than four lengths in a Kembla Grange maiden. His margin of victory was the same in the G2 Skyline S. at Warwick

Farm two weeks later, but he was highly disappointing at 7-2 in the Slipper. Dominating the G2 Run to the Rose over Group 1 winner Press Statement (Aus) (Hinchinbrook {Aus}) on return Aug. 29, Exosphere was favored over that re-opposing rival here. The dark bay was unhurried from the gate by James McDonald, racing in midpack on the fence with Press Statement to his outside while the highly regarded filly Speak Fondly (Aus) (Northern Meteor {Aus}) led narrowly from Exopshere’s stablemate Holler (Aus) (Commands {Aus}) into the turn. Tipping off the rail to swing outside Speak Fondly at the top of the lane, Exosphere overtook that rival under a handride passing the 200 meter mark and won under wraps. Press Statement suffered a rough stretch run but stuck on to be fifth.

“You know he has a great turn of foot and he is very hard to run down,” winning trainer John O’Shea told Racing and Sports. “You wouldn’t want him standing on your foot, it would make a dent, but he is growing into himself. He is by this great sire Lonhro that the boss has, and he is in for a great season. A horse like Exosphere has great international appeal and you never know where he is going to end up, to be fair.” O’Shea indicated an eventual tilt at the G1 Caulfield Guineas Oct. 10 could be in the cards for Exosphere. “We always had in our mind to go to Caulfield for the prelude but we will see how he pulls up and will go down to Melbourne to see if he is effective around the bend there,” he said.

The result was tainted for O’Shea, however, by the performances of his other two runners, Shards (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro) and Holler, who trailed the field in. O’Shea asked stewards to swab both horses, who were prepared at the operation’s Warwick Farm stables while Exosphere trained at another property.

“There is something not right there,” O’Shea told Racenet. “They worked unbelievably on Tuesday and that was not them.”

Steward Ray Murrihy said, “They have very good security; we will look at their videos and the swabs from the two horses. We are aware that there is a virus at Warwick Farm but we want to lay any other doubts to rest.”

Saturday, Rosehill, Australia
GOLDEN ROSE S.-G1, A$1,021,400, ATC, 9-12, 3yo, Open Set Weight, 1400mT, 1:21.83, Good.
1–&EXOSPHERE, 56.5, c, 3, by Lonhro
1st Dam: Altitude, by Danzero
2nd Dam : Highest, by Marscay
3rd Dam: Consular Belle (CAN), by Pro Consul (CAN)
O-Godolphin; B-Darley NSW; T-J A O’Shea; J-J B Mc
Donald; A$621,400. Lifetime Record: 6-4-0-0,
A$853,350. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple
Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Speak Fondly, 54.5, f, 3, Northern Meteor–Blab, by
Flying Spur. O-Gooree Stud (Mgr: E M Cojuangco);
B-Gooree Park Stud Pty Ltd NSW; T-Ms G
Waterhouse; J-Emma Stent; A$200,000.
3–Sebring Sun, 56.5, c, 3, Sebring–Soleil Royale, by
French Deputy (USA) . (A$100,000 Ylg 2014 MM
Gold Coast Yearling Sale) O-Elite Thoroughbreds
Racing (Mgr: A Allan), D A Worthley, D Grundmann,
D Avidan, B Katz, Miss A M Whitfield, K Guirgis, D S
Lewis, S J Kirkham, A Roden, J C S Teh, R J Sm;
B-Mr S Kirkham QLD; T-G Portelli; J-J A Cassidy;
A$100,000.
Margins: 2.3 len, 2.8 len, 2.9 len. Odds: 2.10, 3.40, 25.00
Also Ran: Rageese, Press Statement, Let’s Make it Rain, Shards, Holler.
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.