Stakes Double for Northern Meteor
Ill-fated Northern Meteor featured with an early stakes double at Eagle Farm on Saturday courtesy of promising juvenile Sports Edition and quality three year-old filly Cosmic Endeavour, both horses trained by Gai Waterhouse and ridden by Tommy Berry.
First to salute was Sports Edition, who improved on his debut second to subsequent Group I winner Almalad at Randwick last month to win the Listed BRC Hampden Stakes over 1200 metres by three-quarters of a length.
Sports Edition went forward from an outside gate and kept finding all the way to the line to become the 10thstakes-winner for Northern Meteor, who was also prepared by Waterhouse.
A homebred for Henry Cojuangco, Sports Edition was foaled and raised at Gooree Stud and is a half-brother to stakes-winner Turf Express from the good producing Marscay mare Newscaster.
Newscaster has not had a foal since Sports Edition, but was covered last spring by Gooree Stud’s Group I winning Fastnet Rock son Your Song, who stands at Widden Stud as did Northern Meteor before his premature death last year.
Making it a quick stakes double for Northern Meteor was brilliant filly Cosmic Endeavour, who powered past the older mares to win the Group II BRC Dane Ripper Stakes over 1400 metres.
The three year-old has had a fruitful preparation winning the Group II ATC Sapphire Stakes at Randwick during The Championships, then taking the lucrative Inglis Scone Guineas before her trip to Brisbane.
“She’s a very honest mare,” said Tommy Berry.
“She won a Group II before I went to Hong Kong and has continued to hold her form.
“She’s consistent and relaxed. You can put her where you want and she’ll give you her heart and soul every time.”
A $230,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the draft of Willow Park Stud, Cosmic Endeavour was bred by Catherine Remond and has won five of 12 starts earning over $750,000 in prizemoney.
“She’ll develop into the sort of mare that can run in the Coolmore Classic and Myer Classic next season and if she pulls up well will head to the Tattersalls Tiara (Group I).”
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.
Northern Meteor’s best son Zoustar will stand at Widden Stud this spring at a fee of $44,000.