The Group III ATC Magic Night Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday produced a great result for Darley’s promising young sire Exosphere, who had first and third in the last Golden Slipper lead up.
The James Cummings trained filly Thermosphere was the first winner for her sire when she broke the ice at her third start winning at Newcastle over 1300m last month and now she’s also his first stakes-winner!
Race fitness and experience told the tale with a big field of fillies tackling a slow track, with Thermosphere powering home for James McDonald to score a long neck win over Time is Precious with another Exosphere filly in Jemss steaming home for third a head away.
Thermosphere might be the lone winner for Exosphere to date, but it won’t be long before Jemss adds her name to the list judging by her performance.
“This is a classy filly,” said James Cummings of Thermosphere.
“She has the right credentials and an excellent temperament to keep improving.
“She pinged the barriers today, which was much better than when she raced at Newcastle so it was an excellent performance.”
Godolphin won the Magic Night Stakes last year with Kiamichi, who won the Golden Slipper seven days later.
“Kiamichi won on wet ground seven days out from the Slipper, but we’ll just see how she pulls up in the next few days,” Cummings said.
A homebred for Godolphin, Thermosphere has won two of four starts earning nearly $130,000.
She is the first winner for Canny Lad’s stakes-winning daughter Glows, who comes from the family of Group III winner Falaise.
Glows has another yearling colt to follow by Exosphere and is back in foal to him again with her weanling colt by another Lonhro son in Pierro.
A brilliant winner of the Group I ATC Golden Rose by champion sire Lonhro, Exosphere covered 86 mares at Darley NSW last spring at a fee of $22,000.