A Breednet ‘One To Watch’ when breaking her maiden at her most recent start at Cranbourne, the powerfully-made Exosphere filly Austmarr did the right thing by punters in Wednesday’s Ladbrokes Racing Club (Bm64) (1000m) at Sandown-Hillside.
Ridden by Jordan Childs for Sam and Anthony Freedman, the half-sister to Hanseatic came with a barnstorming finish to defeat the game Shalaa (IRE) filly Chilled by a long-head, with the Gold Standard filly Goldie a length back in third.
“There might have been a bit of a trainer’s error. She might be better in better races, but riding her quietly in the first half of the race might have dulled her turn of foot a touch,” Sam Freedman said.
“She has good speed and the scope to get over more ground. She is a big filly with some nice targets in the spring, and I hope she measures up to some of those lower-grade stakes races.
“With a pedigree like hers, that would be the ultimate goal for Godolphin. We are still learning and getting to know about her.
The (Group III) Scarborough Stakes (at Moonee Valley on September 29) would be the obvious option, but she is a filly that will get there in time. Look at her; she is massive. Whether it is now or in the autumn, the lovely thing about Godolphin is they are patient and will allow us to plot a path.
“It’s funny that she is so big as her half-sister Frost Flowers is a petite filly and Hanseatic wasn’t overly big. Both of those horses you probably saw the best of at two, but this filly has thrown to her sire Exosphere, who can get some big types. She has the most scope of the ones we have had from the family. She is a big filly with speed who does not know how to use her action yet. She wobbled around the bend. Once she gets her act together, then we will see the best of her.”
A half-sister to Rosemont Stud’s popular Hanseatic (Street Boss) and stakes-placed Frost Flowers (Frosted), Austmarr is the fifth winner from as many to race from the Exceed and Excel mare Itameri.
Austmarr is the final foal of Itameri, a granddaughter of the superb Scandinavia, the dam of Magnus, Wilander, Scandiva and Arctic Flight, and the granddam of Black Caviar and All Too Hard.
Exosphere stands at Oaklands Stud in 2023 at a value fee of $6,600.