Exosphere ready for a Rose run

THE Lonhro colt Exosphere bounced onto the second line of betting for Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes following his one and quarter length win in the Group 2 Run To The Rose over 1,200 metres at Rosehill last Saturday.

The Godolphin colt faced just four rivals but was too sharp for the Group 1 JJ Atkins winner Press Statement, a Hinchbrook colt, and the Commands colt Holler who took third just ahead of the last-start San Domenico Stakes winner Japonisme.

“We’ve learnt a lot more about him and hopefully going forward he can still continue to race well,” said trainer John O’Shea who added Exosphere is the biggest horse in the stables tipping the scales at 600kgs.

“He has grown into his big frame. When you see him walk into the enclosure, he has made dramatic transformation from an autumn two-year-old to a spring three-year-old. I think he has got a big sprinting future ahead of him. You will see him next in the Golden Rose in a fortnight.”

Kawi meets

his Challenge

IN a fast run race, the Allan Sharrock-trained Kawi, built up a steady move from mid-field in the Group 1 Mafki Challenge Stakes over 1,400 metres at Hastings to be in striking distance on the bend in New Zealand’s first Group 1 of the season.

Sent off favourite, Leith Innes had the Savabeel gelding the widest on the bend from where Kawi wore down the leaders to run out a length and a quarter winner over the Thorn Park gelding Ryan Mark with Ginner Hart, a Volksraad gelding, third.

Sharrock now has eyes on the Hawkes Bat Triple Crown, an elusive trio of Group 1s not won by a single horse before.

“Now they know why I’ve been saying this horse is the real deal,” said Sharrock. “This was the hardest one to win and he’s done it pretty well so I’m confident about the other two.”

Making up the Hastings trio is the 1,600 metre Windsor Park Plate in three weeks’ time and the Livamol Classic over 2,040 metres on October 3rd.

Kavanagh guilty

in cobalt case

RACING New South Wales have found Sam Kavanagh, the son of Melbourne Cup winning trainer Mark, himself on cobalt charges in Victoria, guilty of 23 of the 24 charges relating to cobalt positives from three of his horses.

Also found guilty were Dr Tom Brennan of the Flemington Equine Clinic of 12 charges, along with his colleague, practice manager Adam Corby, found guilty of one of two charges, as well as former Kavanagh stable employee Michael O’Loughlin and harness racing identity’s Mitchell Butterfield and John Camilleri. Penalties will be handed down on September 10th.