Securing his first G1 victory two starts back during the Queensland winter carnival, Joe Pride’s Exosphere gelding Headley Grange resumed at Royal Randwick on Saturday, securing a fighting win in the $300,000 G2 ATC Tramway Stakes (1400m).
With Matthew Smith’s G1 Queen of the Turf Stakes winner Idle Flyer (Dundeel) sent out the favourite, Headley Grange was out to continue his solid first up record, sitting on the second line of betting in the eight-horse field.
Tony Gollan’s Transatlantic pushed forward from barrier five to take up the running with El Castello on his outside while the favourite was getting a cosy run on the rail in third with Soothsayer back in fourth.
As jockey Ben Thompson started to really ride Transatlantic along as the field headed into the home straight, Soothsayer came to the outside to make his run, and while Idle Flyer presented herself along the inside rail, she wasn’t going well enough to challenge.
Rachel King continued her run on Soothsayer as the Michael Freedman trained gelding hit the lead, but Adam Hyeronimus burst between the tiring Idle Flyer and Transatlantic with the pair pulling away to battle it out.
Showing plenty of fight in the run to the line, Headley Grange slowly wore down Soothsayer and on the line, took the race in a photo finish.
Coming from second last on the turn, the winner’s stablemate and last season’s G1 ATC Derby winner Attica produced a very encouraging run to finish third.
Winning by a short half head, trainer Joe Pride was confident when Headley Grange settled down to fight out the race.
“This horse is a winner, he just finds a way to get it done,” said Pride. “About 100m out I had a bit of faith he was going to find a way to get there because he doesn’t really run ‘seconds’, if he gets close enough he finds a way to win. I am extremely happy with him, he has returned in great shape.”
As for where he will head to next, Pride hasn’t exactly made up his mind.
“I haven’t made up my mind with Headley Grange but I would like to get him to the Alan Brown Stakes. We have a lot of options with him.”
Regula rider Adam Hyeronimus highlighted how well-behaved the gelding was on raceday.
“He was really well behaved today,” said Hyeronimus.
“I swung on him going out and he went around nice and relaxed. Even behind the gates, normally first-up he can get a little bit hot, but he was really well behaved.”
“He trialled well the other day. He didn’t have the speed to go with them early. I thought I’d be in a position a pair closer, but the result was I was following the one who I thought was the one to beat.
“I had a good run down the running. The second horse went really well and challenged us.”
With 13 wins and seven placed performances from 30 starts, Saturday’s win took Headley Grange’s earnings to $2,672,935, the highest prizemoney earner for his G1 Golden Rose-winning sire.
Purchased from the Inglis Digital platform in November 2023 for $120,000, the Mr RJ Manwaring bred Headley Grange is one of the best 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.
Headley Grange is one of 17 stakes performers for Lonhro stallion Exosphere who unfortunately passed away in 2024 after covering eight books of mares.
