Dubai: Team Godolphin posted an impressive quartet of wins in Australia and Endland to cap a profitable week’s racing that began on the all-weather track at Kempton Park on Monday.
In recording maiden victories at the popular Middlesex venue Power Game, Mise En Rose and City Chick kick-started a winning sequence for the stable that culminated in Saturday’s trophy rush, highlighted by a brace of wins during the Spring Carnival in Sydney.
Godolphin’s Australian handler John O’Shea continued his strong season by saddling Exosphere to land the Group 2 Run to the Rose Stakes after Magic Hurricane’s victory in the Premier’s Cup handicap. Both winners were ridden by Sam Clipperton.
A strapping colt by Lonhro, Exopsphere showed himself a big race hope when coming from last to first to win the Rosehill Gardens feature.
“We were having trouble with Exosphere’s shins last season because of his size and immaturity,” trainer John O’Shea told the Daily Telegraph in Australia.
“On Slipper Day when he struck that firm track, I just think he became too anxious and that caused the issue. By the time we got him back to the stable that night, he was fine.
“Since he has been back in work, he hasn’t been a problem for us. He is growing into that huge frame of his now.”
Exosphere is a massive 600kg colt, way above the average for most fully-grown thoroughbreds which is about 500kg.
“We know he is a class horse, we’ve said that all along,” O’Shea said. “We had an aberration in the Slipper but we’ve learnt a lot more about him and hopefully going forward he can still continue to race well.”
The handler confirmed Exosphere’s next start will be in the Group 1 $1 million (Dh3.67 million) Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens in two weeks time.
Clipperton added: “He is a serious racehorse. With a big weight (59kg), he went past a small but competitive field with a lot of ease. That was only his first-up effort and he has got a lot of improvement left in him.”
Meanwhile, O’Shea’s fellow Godolphin trainers who are based at Newmarket England, Saeed Bin Surour and Charlie Appleby, were enjoying their own share of success at the horse of racing.
Bin Surour sent out Wadi Al Hattawi to land the 2,600 metre Southend Airport Handicap under James Doyle while Appleby teamed up with William Buick to capture the EBF Maiden Stakes with Venturous.
The feature race of a busy afternoon’s racing at Goodwood was the Celebration Mile which was won by favourite Kodi Bear.
Ridden with aplomb by French veteran Gerald Mosse, Clive Cox’s three-year-old scored by three and a quarter lengths from Gabrial.
