Written by Bryan Littlely
Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
An Exosphere colt already credited with being a “life changer” for Anthony and Kristen Evans and their Hilldale-based HP Thoroughbreds, put another notch in their belts as a city winner at Sandown.
His maiden win also brings a timely pedigree update to his full sister who will go to auction at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Just over a month ago, it was Brutality (Shamus Award) winning the G2 Villiers S. which delivered the Evanses a brilliant pedigree update for their 10 yearling-strong draft for the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in February. On Wednesday, the Chris Waller-trained Forged (Exosphere) did the job for the small farm, winning at Sandown in the Ladbroke It! Plate over 1200 metres.
Forged winning at Sandown
Forged, by Exosphere and out of Real Desire (Wanted), headed to the front from the jump with Damian Lane aboard and held off not more than a slight challenge from Award Me (Shamus Award) and race favourite Masako (Real Impact {Jpn}) through to the line, although with some slightly scrutinised wandering down the home straight.
A life changer
But it is not the first time Forged has has given the Evans duo something to celebrate. They have long had faith in the colt which already had proven life-changing for them.
“We bought the mare through an online sale, liking Exosphere (to put her to),’’ said Kristen Evans. “My husband said, 'I found the mare and I want to send her to Exosphere' and we did. We were lucky enough to get him into Magic Millions and he made $280,000 for us which was just life changing for us at the time,’’ she added
Forged as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“And then today, now he’s a city winner which is just amazing. We have his full sister a Real Desire, Exosphere filly who is a cracking type. She’s absolutely gorgeous. A lovely filly. Very well grown, strong and I think she’ll be very well-received down there (at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale). It’s very exciting. Very good timing.’’
Hawkes Racing paid the $280,000 for him for owners Tora Racing, but he transferred to the Waller stable ahead of this campaign.
Short in stature only
Evans said Real Desire was herself quite fast but she’s a very short mare.
“She’s very close-coupled and Exosphere is very big,’’ explained Evans. “So we were hoping to get everything of the mare with a bit more size and that bit stronger so that it would be the perfect racehorse.
“We were lucky enough that when Forged was born he was just everything we’d dreamed of. He was big, he was strong, he was fantastic and today he’s proved us right.’’
“We were lucky enough that when Forged was born he was just everything we’d dreamed of. He was big, he was strong, he was fantastic and today he’s proved us right.’’ - Kristen Evans
The fact it took Forged until his fourth start to get a win was a bit longer than expected but Evans said it was a sign of the Exosphere coming through.
“They’re not early runners but we were just hoping that if we could combine the two types we would get a really nice foal, which we did," she said.
The filly sells as Lot 709 in the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale and Evans said she is shaping up to be very much like Forged. Even when x-rays were being done of the filly, a second take was needed, she said.
“She is just a filly version of (Forged). She’s more athletic but for a filly, you’d look at her and think she was a colt,’’ Evans said. “When they were taking her x-rays they sort of looked at her twice and said: ‘No, she is definitely a filly’.’’
“She (the Exosphere filly) is just a filly version of (Forged). She’s more athletic but for a filly, you’d look at her and think she was a colt." - Kristen Evans
“She‘s very athletic. He was big and strong, you just look at him and all day long, he was a lovely colt. She has just got a walk that floats along the ground and the attitude.
“With Forged, they say he’s very easy-going and conserves all his energy for the races. She has a little bit more get up and go in her at home but she’s a very trainable filly,’’ Evans said.
“We’re very lucky to be presenting her through the Classic draft with this latest update.’’
Lot 709 - Exosphere x Real Desire (filly) at birth | Image courtesy of HP Thoroughbreds
Strong Inglis draft
HP Thoroughbreds have a draft of 10 for the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. There are two Russian Revolution colts, including the half-brother to Brutality, a Deep Field filly out of a Group 2-winning USA mare Buckleupbuttercup (Najran {USA}), an Astern colt, an All Too Hard filly, a Harry Angel (Ire) filly, a Shooting To Win colt, and a Shamus Award colt, a half to Wardaddy (Panzer Division) who broke a track record at Newcastle a few weeks ago.
“It’s a very exciting draft for our farm,’’ Evans said. “We’re very lucky and very excited. From a small farm perspective, to be producing horses like Forged that my husband and I have worked out ourselves is great.’’
Evans said the farm hopes for more updates before the Sale starts with Forged.
“Wardaddy has gone to the paddock, Brutality is heading to the Doncaster, so he’s more of an Easter Sales update potential. The Shooting To Win colt has a full sister and she’s in the paddock as well,’’ she said.
“Hopefully Forged gets another one in, depending on what Waller decides. We’ll all go with what he says because he’s amazing and got the job done for us today.’’
