Group 1 wins for homebred pair Tentyris and Observer headline spectacular day for Godolphin at Flemington
Godolphin achieved a spectacular brace of wins at Flemington on Derby Day, each with homebred colts as Tentyris (Street Boss) and Observer (Ghaiyyath) stamped their class when taking the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) respectively under in-form jockey Mark Zahra.
Beginning the red-letter day, Tentyris was produced to perfection in Saturday’s time-honoured stallion-making contest, showcasing a deadly turn-of-foot to add his name to the list of stallion prospects to win the Flemington feature.
The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained son of Street Boss (Street Cry) began his campaign last month, placing in the Danehill Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) before a pulsating win in the the Gothic Stakes (Listed, 1200m) on October 18.
Third-up back at Flemington on Saturday, the colt was fancied by connections and duly went off the $2.90 favourite – but his manner of victory suggested he should have been much shorter.
Bumped slightly at the break, Tentyris settled second-last behind the pace set by Beadman (Snitzel) while McGaw (I Am Immortal) was prominent out wide. Fellow Godolphin representative and Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Beiwacht (Bivouac) was up on the speed, and when the leaders were each called upon at the 400-metre mark, Zahra remained ice cold, waiting until the 300 metres to move aboard the favourite.
Once asked, Tentyris’ response was immediate, the three-year-old exploding between Jimmy Recard (I Am Invincible) and his owner-mate Beiwacht and putting a swift gap on his rivals. He crossed the line with 2.3 lengths to spare over a closing My Gladiola (I Am Invincible), with Legacy Bound (Ole Kirk) another 0.7 lengths back in third. Beiwacht finished fourth, another length behind.
Zahra singled out Tentyris as his most exciting ride earlier in the week, convinced the colt had had the perfect lead-up to the Group 1. He stuck to Anthony Freedman’s instructions to ride the horse cold, and praised the quality of the resulting win.
“He let rip when I first let go and then he thought ‘where am I’? And he started to stargaze,” the winning rider said. “He’s a very good colt and what a win.
“I chose him out of a few horses, but I stuck with my barn, the ‘Freedies’ and they just had him absolutely on the ball for today. It’s just so good when you’re involved with a team and it all pays off.”
The win had extra meaning for the Freedmans, with the father-and-son training duo celebrating their first Group 1 down the Flemington straight together.
Sam Freedman said: “To do it with Dad, he’s the reason I’m here today, so without him I’d be nothing. So, it’s incredibly special. And Godolphin, they’ve been amazing supporters of ours for a very long time and this colt has been with us since day one and he’s shown a lot the whole way through.
“The team at home has done a great job, we’re supported by some great staff who put in a lot of hours and for the old man, to do it with him, it’s pretty special.”
Anthony Freedman made a rare on-track appearance to support his son and watch the winner, who the pair have long held in high regard.
“I came today, really only to support Sam. He’s been here all spring and we really haven’t had what you would call a great spring,” he said.
“This was the horse we had so much faith in and he prepared him perfectly. I just wanted to be here and sit in the background and say well done.
“Credit to the horse, Godolphin – obviously great supporters – and our staff have done a great job.”
Having landed the Talindert Stakes (Listed, 1100m) as juvenile, Anthony Freedman said that Tentyris could aim for a third win at headquarters against his elders in next Saturday’s Champion Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) – causing him to shorten from $12 into $2.60 for the 1200-metre feature.
“We’ll see, we’ll definitely look into it,” he said. “We’ve said that from day dot. If he has a good three or four days, there’s no reason why he will not turn up next week.”
Sam Freedman added that a trip to Royal Ascot could be on the cards for Tentyris, with the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) looking a fitting option.
“We’ve earmarked him possibly for Ascot,” he said. “We’ve got some unfinished business there after taking over Artorius a few years ago. This horse is every bit as good as him, if not better.
“We had been thinking about Ascot before today as he has handled straight-track racing. He would be one we would love to take over. He is the best of the three-year-old crop. He smashed them today and he has improvement in him. Every time we’ve stepped him out he has got better and better. You wouldn’t quite know where the ceiling would be. Hopefully we’ll find out one day.”
Godolphin’s Australian managing director Andy Makiv added: “We’re a stallion business, so to look at races in Britain, including at Royal Ascot, and maybe even in Dubai would be interesting for us and the colt.
“To promote him anywhere would be the best thing to do. He’s a son of Street Boss, who is getting a bit long in the tooth, so to have a ready-made replacement is very pleasing.”
Already a Group 2-winning juvenile who went close in the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), Tentyris became the 11th Group 1 winner for Darley’s Street Boss with Saturday’s win.
The colt joins the illustrious list of previous winners of the Group 1 and undoubtedly earns himself a place at stud at the conclusion of his career on the track. The roll of honour contains household names among Australia’s stallion ranks, including Zoustar, Brazen Beau, Encosta De Lago and more recently Coolmore’s exciting duo Home Affairs and Switzerland.
Meanwhile, the Godolphin blue silks were carried to victory in the race by their star filly In Secret (I Am Invincible) in 2022.
He is the second foal and second winner out of Exceed And Excel (Danehill) mare Deity, herself a half-sister to stakes winner Maternal (Street Cry) with both coming out of four-time Group 1 winner Divine Madonna (Hurricane Sky).
Deity has since produced a filly by Blue Point (Shamardal) named Parcae, who is also in the Freedman stable. She slipped to Paulele (Dawn Approach) last season, and foaled a three-quarter sister to Tentyris by Anamoe (Street Boss) in September.
The Street Boss / Exceed And Excel cross has produced 38 winners from 53 runners, headed by seven stakes winners, including Tempted. Tentyris becomes the second top-flight winner for the nick.
Street Boss is standing this season at a fee of $66,000 (inc. GST) at Darley’s Northwood Park.