Oliver Stablemates To Light Up Flemington
- Friday, 18 July 2014 08:16
Cosmic Lights made his own piece of history before he raced but will attempt to remain unbeaten in Saturday's Bruce Gadsden Handicap at Flemington.
Cosmic Lights was the first of the late sire Northern Meteor's progeny to pass through the sales ring when he appeared at an Inglis weanling sale in May 2011.
The only problem was nobody wanted to buy him.
Cosmic Lights was passed in for $17,000 less than a month before Northern Meteor's best son Zoustar fetched $85,000 at a weanling sale on the Gold Coast.
Cosmic Lights's owners paid just $15,000 for him at a yearling sale 10 months later and the gelding showed the investment would produce a result with his debut win at Mornington.
The three-year-old posted a 4-1/2-length win as the powerfully built galloper muscled his way through the heavy ground on July 6.
Trainer Luke Oliver says a class rise and a lack of experience could hinder Cosmic Lights at Flemington but the sprinter would benefit from the outing.
"He's a really big horse, he weighs about 580kg," Oliver said.
"He's always been going amazing but he's so big and he's just needed a bit more time.
"He's pretty new even though he did everything right at Mornington. He's like a big baby at home because he doesn't really know what it's all about."
Cosmic Lights is a $6.50 chance while his stablemate Trevinder is at $8 with the last-start Sandown winner O'Malley the favourite at $4.20.
Oliver said the market was wrong and Trevinder's quote should be shorter.
"I think he should be half that price, I think he should almost be favourite in the race," Oliver said.
"We have had a four-month plan to go to this race because it's a week after the Creswick (Stakes) and we thought all of the other three-year-olds around would run in that."
Oliver tipped Trevinder's experience edge to get him home ahead of Cosmic Lights.
Chris Symons will ride Cosmic Lights while Brad Rawiller will partner Trevinder.
