THE best three-year-old sprinter in Australia in 2015, Exosphere began his stud career there last autumn and he has now come to France to join eight other stallions at the Haras du Logis. Home-bred by Darley, he has a very unusual outcross pedigree, being one of the best sons of the Australian champion miler Lonhro, who has already sired 37 group winners and 29 listed scorers.

Trained by John O’Shea, who described him as “a magnificent individual, with enormous natural talent,” Exosphere got off the mark second time out, winning by four lengths, then two weeks later he added the Group 2 Skyline Stakes at Warwick Farm by the same margin.

Resuming as a three-year-old in the Group 2 Run to the Rose over six furlongs at Rosehill, Exosphere came from last to first to score easily, then two weeks later he was dominant in the Group 1 Golden Rose, run over seven furlongs and also at Rosehill, starting favourite and winning by more than two lengths in a new record time.

Less than a month after that, Exosphere completed a hat-trick in the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes at Randwick, a race won by Exceed And Excel and Fastnet Rock, coming from way back to win by three lengths and breaking the six-furlong race record time by over half a second. Japonisme was able to take his revenge in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington, with Exosphere fourth of the 12 runners, which position he took again in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, also at Flemington over only five furlongs, very close behind the older champion sprinter Chautauqua. Timeform rated Exosphere as the best Australian three-year-old on 127, only 1lb below the brilliant Winx.

Exosphere is one of eight Group 1 winners sired by Lonhro, who was the champion miler in Australia in 2003-4 and won 26 races, including the Group 1 Australian Cup at Flemington, the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick and nine other Group 1 events. Lonhro’s other top winners include Pierro, successful five times at Group 1 level including the Golden Slipper Stakes, and the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes star Denman, both of whom are well regarded sires in Australia. Lonhro’s male line goes back through Octagonal, Zabeel and Sir Tristram to the Epsom Derby hero Sir Ivor.

Altitude, the dam of Exosphere, is a daughter of Danzero who won four races in Australia and her dam, the listed placed winner Highest, was a half-sister to Tell Me Straight, who was second in the Group 1 Karrakatta Plate at Ascot. The third dam, Consular Belle, won the Reward Stakes in USA.

Won five races, $1,091,600, from 5 furlongs to 7 furlongs, at 2 and 3 years including, De Bortoli Golden Rose Stakes, Rosehill, Gr.1, Canterbury BMW Roman Consul Stakes, Randwick, Gr.2, MTA NSW Run to the Rose, Rosehill, Gr.2, Pro-Ride Skyline Stakes, Warwick Farm, Gr.2.

Retired to stud in Australia in 2016; in France in 2017

Stands at: Haras du Logis, Louvieres en Auge, 61160 Trun, France.

Contact: Julian Ince

Telephone: +33 (0) 2 33 36 21 20

Email: harasdulogis@orange.fr

Web: www.darleystallions.com

Fee: €6,000