Darley based Bivouac and the late Coolmore shuttler Wootton Bassett (GB) are locked in an intriguing battle to be Champion Second Crop Sire by earnings and Bivouac struck a blow on Tuesday with a blueblood homebred filly for Godolphin.
The Chris Waller trained three year-old filly Sphere is no world beater having raced six times previously for a frustrating five placings, but first up from a spell in the 1250m maiden she found conditions to suit under a positive ride from Sam Clipperton.
Sphere was taken to the front and led for home, dashing clear and holding a margin of nearly a length at the finish to cast off maiden status.
What is interesting about Sphere is her pedigree.
She is a three-quarter sister to Group I winner Cylinder and half-sister to Group III winner Parsifal and stakes-winner Diameter being the fifth winner from five foals to race from Group III winning Street Cry (IRE) mare Circular.
Tracing back to the family of champion racehorse and sire Lonhro, Circular has made an auspicious start to her stud career as her five winners are her first five foals.
She hit a hurdle when losing a foal by Extreme Choice in 2024 and then had a year off and was covered last year by Too Darn Hot (GB).
Bivouac has made every post a winner of late, which has obviously come as a pleasant surprise for Darley, who slashed his fee from $55,000 to $33,000 for this spring.
