Second Group One Victory for Northern Meteor Mare

Not a week goes past that we don’t rue the loss of ill-fated champion sire Northern Meteor, his brilliant daughter Cosmic Endeavour claiming her second Group I victory with a record breaking win in the ATC Canterbury Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

Trained by Gai Waterhouse and ridden by James McDonald, Cosmic Endeavour enjoyed a sweet run in transit from gate one and proved too good in the run to the line, holding on to win the 1300 metre sprint by half a length.

She ran the trip in a slick 1:15.17, setting a new course record.

“She’s trained at the track and Gai’s fitness and training ability was always going to kick in that last furlong,” said James Mcdonald.

“It was a gutsy win. I saw this mare a year ago and it’s good to get a win on her. She’s got a great turn of foot. 1400m will be her best trip.”

A $230,000 Inglis Easter purchase for her owners Don and Judy Kelly from the draft of Willow Park Stud, Cosmic Endeavour was bred by Catherine Remond and has the overall record of seven wins from 16 starts earning over $1.4 million in prizemoney.

Cosmic Endeavour is the third winner from three to race for stakes-winning Danehill (USA) mare Crevette, a sister to HK champion and Group I winner Fairy King Prawn and half-sister to Group I winner and sire Easy Rocking.

Also bred and retained to race by Catherine Remond, Crevette comes from a family that was initially nurtured by her father Stanley Wootton, who has legend status as a breeder in Australia having been responsible for importing Star Kingdom (IRE) to our shores back in the 1950’s.

Crevette was covered by Northern Meteor’s Group I winning son Zoustar last spring so will produce a three-quarter sibling to Cosmic Endeavour later this year..