It has been a good couple of days for the former Coolmore shuttler Zoffany (IRE), as his daughter Osmose (FR) added Saturday’s Group III Bisley Workwear Epona Stakes at Rosehill to the victory of Fawkner Park (IRE) in the Albury Gold Cup on Friday.
Ridden by Tim Clark for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, the French import rode the early speed before hitting the front at the 200m. She was all out to hold the challenge of the Not A Single Doubt mare Thalassophile by a long neck with the Le Havre (IRE) mare Rivaport (FR) a half-length back in third.
It was the first win in eight starts in Australia for Osmose (FR), who has four Group placings to her credit.
The First Light Racing colourbearer was edged out in the Group II Matriarch Stales last spring before finishing second in the Group III Aspiration Quality at her 2024 debut at Randwick on March 9.
A winner at Chantilly and Deauville, Osmose (IRE) was a €160,000 purchase for Howson & Houldsworth /First Light Racing at the 2022 Arqana Vente D'Elevage Sale.
With her stakes breakthrough, Osmose (IRE) advances her record to three wins, two seconds, and two-thirds from 16 starts with earnings of $384,079.
“That helps settle things for the day so we’re away now,” Adrian Bott said.
“Hopefully that’s a sign of things to come. It was getting a bit close for me, I thought she was going to be hard to hold out.
“Full credit to the mare. She is deserving of a stakes win like that. She has been consistent since arriving here in Australia, and it’s good to get a stakes win for all connections.
“She had been around the mark, she just needs this sort of trip and she got it today.
“The stablemate had a lovely time in front, and she was just able to stalk it all the way to peel off at the right time and she was very strong late.”
“I’ve always wanted to keep her in mares’ company, whether we can look to change that around now or whether she is sharp enough to come back to a Queen Of The Turf Stakes, a strong mile at Randwick.
“There’s not a lot around for mares. Whether we could be tempted by something like that or whether we’ve got to step into open company over a bit of ground, we’ll assess off today.
Osmose (FR) is the best of two winners from three to race for the unraced Medaglia d'Oro (USA) mare Meseika a half-sister to triple Grade 1 winner Unique Bella (Tapit) the Champion Older Dirt Female in USA in 2018 and Champion Female Sprinter in USA in 2017.
Meseika is a daughter of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic winner Unrivaled Belle Unbridled's Song (USA).
Osmose (FR) is the 68th stakes-winner for Collmore Stud’s 4-season shuttler Zoffany (IRE).
