Cosmic Crusader broke a top-level drought for West Australian breeding legend Bob Peters and became a long-awaited third Australian elite-level winner for his sire Maurice in taking the Northerly Stakes (G1) at Ascot Dec. 6.
Ridden by Clint Johnson-Porter, the Michael Grantham-trained 5-year-old jumped well from gate nine of 16 and settled midfield one off the fence as a frenetic pace was set by bolter Osipenko and former Peters runner Western Empire. The field stretched out more than 20 lengths after 800 meters.
Johnston-Porter eased Cosmic Crusader to a three-wide line with cover passing the 800 meters before bringing him out as the widest runner on the turn, six horses off the fence.
Cosmic Crusader exploded to the lead at the 200 meters, only for Railway Stakes (G1) winner Watch Me Rock to burst from the pack with a fearsome challenge to his outside.
The pair settled in to fight a torrid battle down the home straight, and just as it looked like the latter was about to take the ascendancy, Cosmic Crusader dug in and scored by 0.15 lengths, providing Peters’ private trainer Michael Grantham with his first top-tier success.
Illustrating the top pair’s dominance, Western Empire hung on gamely for third—4.73 lengths further back.
Previously unbeaten 3-year-old King Of Light didn’t feature as AU$2.40 favorite under Willie Pike, finishing 14th, while Ciaron Maher’s Vivy Air—heavily backed into AU$5.50 second-favoritism—managed only eighth after settling at the rear.
Cosmic Crusader had support as a AU$6 third-favorite in the AU$1.5 million feature, with Watch Me Rock at AU$14 and Western Empire AU$8.
In 2021, Peters swept the board of WA’s three elite events, claiming the Railway with Western Empire, the Winterbottom Stakes (G1) with Graceful Girl, and the Northerly with Regal Power.
But those were Peters’ last group 1 wins, and were the last time his famed cerise with white crossed sashes had placed in Perth’s top-level trio—until the victory from his homebred gelding on Saturday.
Cosmic Crusader has now won eight of 16 starts and more than AU$1.2 million in prize money. He’s won four of six this preparation, after requiring a year off due to injury—which Peters feels may have helped turn him into a special horse.
“He had an injury and I gave him 12 months off to get over it, and I think that was the making of him,” Peters told Racing.com. “He was a bit fine before but he developed well and he’s a big strong horse now.”
The two starts this campaign that Cosmic Crusader didn’t win were unlucky thirds in the Asian Beau Stakes (G3) four starts back and in his subsequent run in the RJ Peters Stakes (G3).
Those beaten runs meant he was only an emergency for the Railway. On that day, he instead went into the Carbine Club Stakes (G3), and won by 2.59 lengths at AU$1.75.
Cosmic Crusader is the first of five foals to race for Cosmic Storm (Street Sense ), who won four Perth stakes events for Peters, capped by the 2016 La Trice Classic (G3).
