Black Caviar Lightning Stakes 2016: Exosphere Under The Odds

Exosphere is currently available at 2016 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes odds of $2.50 and trainer John O’Shea believes that the talented sprinter is well under the odds ahead of the Group 1 event at Flemington on Saturday.

Exosphere is currently on top of 2016 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

Exosphere is currently on top of 2016 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

Exosphere produced outstanding performances to take out the Group 3 Run To The Rose (1200m), Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) and Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival and O’Shea has a big opinion of the horse, but he admits that there are some question marks over the Lonhro colt ahead of his return to racing and could not get him as short as he is in current Black Caviar Lightning Stakes betting markets.

“We love him dearly and then is no doubting his ability, but in terms of being objective when assessing his chances on Saturday I don’t think there would be a ratings man in Australia that would have him 6/4 and rightly so because he has still got to tick a few boxes,” O’Shea told Sky Racing HQ.

“He has to get down the straight and he has to do it at weight-for-age, but hopefully he can tick those two boxes on Saturday.

“If you are being objective in terms of his chances on Saturday, he is right under the odds.”

Exosphere showed that he was ready for a return to racing when he showed an explosive turn-of-foot to finish second behind Lyric in a barrier trial over 804 metres at Warwick Farm on February 8 and did all his prep work in Sydney before heading down to Melbourne this morning.

O’Shea said that Exosphere made the trip from Sydney to Melbourne without any issues and he confirmed that the three-year-old will not do a great deal of additional work ahead of the 2016 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes this weekend.

“He arrived this morning and everyone is pretty happy with him,” O’Shea said.

“He arrived in one piece, which is most important, and he has had a good week.

“He will have a pot around Flemington over the next few days and he will line up on Saturday.”

Exosphere is currently available at 2016 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes odds of $2.50 with Ladbrokes and he is a narrow favourite from Chautauqua ($2.70), Delectation ($7.50), Terravista ($8.50), Japonisme ($9), Kinglike ($31) and Va Pensiero ($71).

Outside of Black Caviar, favourites have a fairly poor recent record in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes and the last favourite to win before the great mare was Miss Andretti in 2007.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.