A homebred for Peters Investments, progressive gelding Cosmic Crusader became a new stakes-winner for his sire Maurice (Jpn) when taking out the $125,000 Listed WATC Carbine Club of WA Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on Saturday.
Trained by Michael Grantham, the five year-old was sent off as favourite after placings at his past two starts in Group races won by Storyville and Watch Me Rock, who came out later in the day to win the Group I WATC Railway Stakes.
Ridden by Clint Johnston-Porter, Cosmic Crusader chimed in with a furlong to run and was dominant at the finish opening up to win by two and a half lengths giving rise to speculation he would have made things interesting if he had contested the Railway.
The victory took his overall record to seven wins and four placings from 15 starts with prizemoney topping $415,000 and the way in which he did it would suggest even better is to come.
“The horse is learning now how to race, and he was a lot better in the run than he would normally be when the pace slackened,” owner Bob Peters said.
“He was stuck out wide, but I thought he’d be out wide.
“He was thrown into this race when you look at the set weights and penalties conditions; it was an easy run for him.”
Cosmic Crusader will get his chance at G1 glory on December 6 with the WATC Northerly Stakes (1800m) his likely next assignment.
Cosmic Crusader is the best of two winners from classy Street Sense (USA) mare Cosmic Storm, who was also bred and raced by Bob Peters winning seven races including the Group III WATC La Trice Classic.
Cosmic Storm is a sibling to Group I winner Superstorm and stakes-winners Royal Command and Mikimoto being f rom Group III winner Stormy Nova.
Bob Peters has had plenty of faith in the mating of Maurice over Cosmic Storm and she has a 2YO colt by him called Cosmic Icon and then lost filly by him before missing to him last year.
Cosmic Crusader is the 34th stakes-winner for Maurice, who stands at Arrowfield Stud at a fee of $55,000 and has 21 entries for Magic Millions and 17 for Inglis Classic.
