Godolphin Stars Impress In Sydney Trials

A selection of runners from Godolphin's Australian team headed by the top-class sprinter Exosphere produced trial performances on Monday, February 8 that suggest the stable is headed for another outstanding Autumn.

Exosphere, a G1 winner in three-year-old company last Spring showed he is well-prepared for his return to racing, cruising around behind the multiple G1 winner Terravista and giving the clear impression he could have run past his older rival had jockey James McDonald wished.

Exosphere finished a close second with his best work coming in the final 40m where he took a length off the winner without being pushed.

Trainer John O'Shea's optimism was already high, and it remained so after the trial.

"He looks like he's trained on a bit. He'll go to Melbourne next Tuesday for the G1 Lightning Stakes as planned."

"I'm confident he's near his top and we go back to Melbourne with a horse who is fit and well."

O'Shea is also confident the track condition at Flemington was to blame for his defeat in the G1 Coolmore Classic last Spring.

"We'll see how he handles the track and if it turns out he isn't suited by the straight track down there we'll come back to Sydney," he said.

The G1 Lightning Stakes is run at Flemington on February 20.

As eye-catching as Exosphere was, the crack Godolphin two-year-old Astern challenged him for the performance of the morning at Warwick Farm.

A stunning winner at his only start, Astern went straight to the front and maintained a strong gallop to the line to win his trial by two lengths without McDonald calling on him.

"That was the sort of trial you like them to have. I don't know how good they were behind him, but he did well," O'Shea said.

"He just bowled around, he wasn't pushed and he looked to have something in hand."

"He's shown he's one of the better colts, but it's always hard to line them up."

"We've had the Silver Slipper in mind for him and he'll go there in good form."

The son of Medaglia d'Oro, is expected to have his lead up for the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes in the G2 Silver Slipper at Rosehill on February 20.

Monday's trials under race conditions provided satisfaction through all ranks of the Australian team.

One of the most welcome returns to public action came from Contributer, one of Godolphin's 11 Stakes winners at last year's Sydney Autumn Carnival.

The multiple G1 winner suffered from a deep-seated abscess that required lengthy treatment after his Spring campaign, but showed he had recovered well with a solid performance behind Terravista and Exosphere.

"It's great to have him back and to see him in such good form," O'Shea said.

"He had a very bad abscess that kept him on the sidelines for a fair while."

"But he's over it now and we're looking at bringing him back in the G1 Canterbury Stakes early next month."

Contributer's ultimate goal this preparation is the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on April 9.

Among the other likely Stakes performers to appear in the Warwick Farm trials, Asinara tuned up for her reappearance with a solid fifth without being asked for an effort.

"She was good, what we wanted to see," O'Shea said.

"The way she won the other day says she is a very good filly. We'll take her along without getting too ambitious for now and step her up when she's ready."

Along with Astern, the stable trialled another 14 two-year-olds with special mention going to Sleek, a Commands filly who won her trial by two lengths without being pressured.