As Williamsburg and Rustic Steel were involved in their personal duel down the straight, it was plain sailing for the Exosphere gelding Phearson to make a winning stakes debut in Saturday’s Group III James Squire Festival Stakes at Rosehill.
Ridden by Tom Sherry for Brad Widdup, Phearson led at every call to defeat Williamsburg (Snitzel) by a half-head with Rustic Steel (Deep Field) three-quarters of a length back in third.
“he has shown a lot of promise and even though it looked like he was not going well this preparation, he has been and we just needed a bit of luck,” Widdup said.
“He is lightly raced and still learning. But has a hell of a lot of ability.”
A $65,000 purchase for Sunninghill Park Stud from the Fernrigg Farm draft at the 2019 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Phearson advances his record to five wins, six seconds, and two thirds from 15 starts with earnings of $443,350.
He is the best of three winners from five to race for the Pins mare Chateau D'Yquem, a three-quarter sister to Group 1 New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas, and Group 1 New Zealand One Thousand Guineas winner Katie Lee and a half-sister to the Group 1 BTC Cup, and Group 1 Telegraph Hcp winner Gee I Jane, Group 1 Diamond stakes winner Banchee, and Group III winner Miss Jessie Jay.
Seaton Park will be celebrating the win as they offer a Darci Brahma half-sister to Phearson at Karaka (lot 1106).
Chateau D'Yquem was covered by Staphanos (JPN) last spring.
Phearson is the ninth stakes-winner for Oaklands Sud’s Exosphere.
