Exosphere has been backed into 2015 Roman Consul Stakes odds of $1.50 and trainer John O’Shea cannot fault the talented colt ahead of the Group 2 event at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Exosphere is a dominant favourite in the 2015 Roman Consul Stakes at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Exosphere started his 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with an impressive fast-finishing victory in the Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on August 29 and he proved that win was no fluke when he scored a comfortable win in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 12.
O’Shea opted to freshen Exosphere up for the Roman Consul Stakes instead of sending him to Melbourne for the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) last weekend and he believes that the son of Lonhro has taken plenty of benefit from his three weeks between runs.
“He is in good order and if anything he has probably trained on,” O’Shea told Racing Ahead.
“He has freshened up really good in the three weeks and I can’t fault him.
“He is exactly the same weight as he was going into the Golden Rose and he is a big, strong brute of a fellow that is pretty happy with himself at the moment.
“There looks to be good speed in the race and Mac gets his opportunity from the three to take up a few options.
“I am keen to run him at Randwick to see how the track suits him.”
The Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) is now the major 2015 Spring Racing Carnival goal for Exosphere and O’Shea confirmed that the three-year-old will head to Melbourne after he runs in the 2015 Roman Consul Stakes, but he is yet to decide whether the colt will have another run before the stallion-making race at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day.
“I think that his next run will be in Melbourne,” O’Shea said.
“We will make a decision as to which race that is going to be.”
O’Shea is chasing his third win in the Roman Consul Stakes after he previously took out the race with Foxwedge in 2011 and Reigning To Win in 2006.
Exosphere is currently available at 2015 Roman Consul Stakes odds of $1.50 with Ladbrokes and he is a dominant favourite from Chris Waller-trained Japonisme ($5.50), last start winner Counterattack ($8), Gary Moore-trained Takedown ($16), Magic Millions Classic winner Le Chef ($26), Queensland-based Wicked Intent ($26), the resuming Surfin’ Safari ($26) and the undefeated Spill The Beans ($26).
