Exosphere will be challenging for favouritism for the Golden Slipper after a he demolished a small field in the Group 2 $175,000 Pro-Ride Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Warwick Farm today.

Exosphere cruises into Golden Slipper calculations with an effortless win in the Skyline Stakes at Warwick Farm. Photo by Steve Hart.

The John O’Shea trained Exosphere came from last on the home turn to power down the middle of the track to score a four lengths win over Odyssey Moon ($14) and stablemate Mogador (11).

The Lonhro colt paraded magnificently before the race and raced up to his looks and will now head to the Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 21 without another run.

Exosphere was well supported all the way through the betting and started the $2.40 favourite.

O’Shea had always earmarked Exosphere as one of the top two year olds in the Godolphin stable and said that it is a real team effort to get these youngsters to the races.

“He was always a very nice horse early on,” O’Shea said.

“He trialled the same day as Furnaces and they both won by six. Furnaces won his race and this fellow just didn’t have a good day at the races.”

“So he has always been highly thought of by the team. It is nice for Sheikh Mohammed to have a nice couple of Lonhros coming through the grades.”

“We have a lot of work to do with the team going forward in the next three weeks, we have to keep them all together. Let’s hope everything works out okay.”

O’Shea will still  have a little bit of work to do with Exosphere who was a little slow to leave the barriers but James McDonald let the colt settle at the back of the field before moving forward just before the home turn.

McDonald said that Exosphere rounded up the field in quick fashion and admitted that he might have got to the front a little bit early, but the flashy bay colt cruised to the line effortlessly.