Having not recorded success since winning the $1.5m ATC Alan Brown Stakes (1400m) back in October, Joe Pride’s Exosphere gelding Headley Grange took his earnings to just shy of $2.5m with a late dive victory in Saturday’s $1m G1 BRC Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm.
Beginning well from barrier 3, jockey Adam Hyeronimus eventually settled in fifth as the Tony Golan trained G1 Toorak Handicap winner Transatlantic went forward to take up the running with race favourite Jimmysstar (NZ) racing wide in third just behind his stablemate Another Will.
With the field fanning into the home straight, the leading trio were joined by last start G1 Goodwood Handicap winner Desert Lightning (NZ), with the Cliff Brown trained Sepals coming even wider.
As Joe Pride’s Private Eye darted back towards the inside under Nash Rawiller, Headley Grange was slightly held up behind the wall in front of him.
Another Will hit the lead at the 200m mark, and while Jimmystar appeared to be dropping off, it looked as if the Ciaron Maher trained pair would fight it out.
Finally securing a gap, Hyeronimus drove Headley Grange through to knock off Jimmysstar who had come again with James McDonald charging home late aboard the Chris Waller trained Fangirl to nab third, just ahead of Another Will.
With less than a length and three-quarters separating the first eight across the line, it was interesting to note that prior to the race, Headley Grange was the only one of those eight not to have won at the elite level, in the process giving Pride his 23rd G1 success.
With most of these runners likely to head to the $3m G1 BRC Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at their next start, Headley Grange does have some excellent performances over the 1400m which surely will see him as one of the leading chances.
“Good performances from both horses here today. They will both go to the Stradbroke,” Pride said.
“He (Headley Grange) has been a horse who had had no luck all autumn. He's battled some pretty ordinary barriers, and it hasn't quite panned out for him, but it certainly has today.”
When the barrier drawn came out during the week, Hyeronimus knew Headley grange would be in the mix.
"Unfortunately, with Joe and the rides I have for him a lot of the time, they're normally dead-set (drawn in) the car park and I was very happy that we finally got a good gate for once in the last two years,” said Hyeronimus. “That was the big difference today.”
“He needs to be bottled up like I was.
“When I was able to dart back to the inside and push Nash (Rawiller on Private Eye) to take the run, I was worried that the horses out wide had put two much of a margin on him.
“But within three strides I've looked across, I'm in front, and we're at the winning post. It couldn't have went to script any better.”
Purchased from the Inglis Digital platform in November 2023 for $120,000 after just three starts, Headley Grange’s first elite level victory victory took his record to 12 wins and seven placed efforts from 28 starts with earnings of $2,464,485.
One of 11 stakes winner, and second G1 winner for Lonhro’s ill-fated G1 Golden Rose winner Exosphere, the Mr RJ Manwaring bred Headley Grange is one of three winners from three to the races out of the winning Hard Spun (USA) mare Hard Go Jo, herself a daughter of the stakes placed Johannesburg mare Go Johemma.
The current 4yo out of the mare is a daughter of Hallowed Crown named Twisted Queen who started her career in the Ben, Will and JD Hayes yard but has since been transferred to Pride, with the mare recently recording her third win rom just seven starts.
Hard Go Jo’s final foal is a filly by Coolmore’s Churchill (IRE) named Ironblood Empress in the stable of Brad Widdup with the 2yo filly having finished fourth in her only barrier trial to date back in March.
