Maher team confident Tempted can make Golden Rose history
The Ciaron Maher team is set for another high-profile weekend across Sydney and Melbourne, headlined by rising three-year-old Tempted (Street Boss) who bids to become the first filly to capture Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) glory since Forensics (Flying Spur) in 2008.
The daughter of Darley’s Street Boss (Street Cry) heads into the Rosehill Group 1 – that was upgraded to the highest level in 2009 – second-up off the back of an ultra-impressive display when winning the Run To The Rose (Gr 2, 1200m) on resumption.
A dual Group 2 winner as a juvenile, it was Tempted’s fourth career victory from seven starts and one which propelled the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) placegetter to the forefront of Australia’s three-year-old division.
“She was a very good two-year-old who was probably unlucky not to win the Golden Slipper,” Maher’s assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord told ANZ News.
“Leading into the [Run To The Rose] she was showing all the right signs, her work was very good. Obviously she ended up in a good spot but quickened very well. She was very dominant; it was good to see her do that knowing some of the others had already had a run.
“We haven’t done much with her in between, it being only two weeks, but she will have naturally improved with that run under her belt. She is a very straight-forward filly in her races – she’s very professional with a great turn-of-foot and she looks like she could be pretty special.”
While there were some hard luck stories in behind, Tempted enjoyed an economical run under Ethan Brown last time out, jumping cleanly from barrier five and setting in a midfield position one off the fence.
On Saturday she will contend with gate eight in the nine-runner field, and while Gerard-Dubord is conscious of luck playing a factor at Rosehill, he believes the filly has the attributes to overcome the draw.
“It is [a workable draw],” he said. “Rosehill when it’s dry can be all-speed. We will have to see how the track is playing on the day. She will need a bit of luck first time at 1400 metres, but she is very professional and very adaptable – she won a Percy Sykes [Gr 2, 1200m] last prep from a wide gate. Ethan rode her very well last time and I’m sure he’ll ride her very well again.”
The team are unperturbed by the record of fillies in the 1400-metre contest, citing the lack of viable triers over the past few years.
“It’s not usually a race that’s targeted by fillies,” Gerard-Dubord said. “There’s the Princess Series in Sydney and usually better fillies run in those restricted fillies races so, I don’t know what the stats are, but I don’t think there would have been many good fillies trying to win the race. We feel she’s the right filly to do so. We couldn’t be any happier with her.”
Post-Saturday, Gerard-Dubord said that a drop back to 1200 metres is on the cards for the Godolphin homebred, with options including the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) or representing her owners in the $20 million The Everest (Gr 1, 1200m).
“The two more likely options after that depending on how she runs would be either The Everest – Godolphin have a slot – and if not a race like the Coolmore [Stud Stakes] in Melbourne down the [Flemington] straight, [both] back to 1200 metres,” he said.
“Saturday will tell us where we go next. It will likely be back in trip – I think 1400 [metres] is probably as far as she wants.”
Maher also fields a son of the late Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) in the Golden Rose in State Visit, the colt also being second-up after his fifth placing behind his stablemate in the Run To The Rose.
“He’s a horse we’ve always liked and it would be great to see him do well after the passing of his dad this week,” Gerard-Dubord said. “Like a lot of Wootton Bassett’s, he’s got a very good mind on him, he’s a very straight-forward colt.
“His best asset is his turn-of-foot. First-up in the Run To The Rose they went very quick and he was probably at his top for most of the way. Stepping up to 1400 metres which he was Group 1-placed [in the ATC Sires’ Produce] over last prep, I think he will travel a lot better and will be able to utilize his turn-of-foot.
“He needs to improve a bit but we always thought he’d be better at three and I’m sure he will run well. It’s been the plan all prep with him: going into the Golden Rose second-up.
State Visit finished just 1.2 lengths behind a race-fit Wodeton (Wootton Bassett) last start, and while the latter was rated a $5.50 chance on Thursday, the former was as big as $61 for Saturday’s contest, which Gerard-Dubord said is at his ideal trip.
“We went up to a mile last prep in the Champagne Stakes – we thought it was a touch far, 1400 [metres] is his right trip,” he said. “Depending on how he runs he could come back to 1200 [metres] for the Coolmore, but similar to Tempted I don’t think he’d want to go up in trip after.”
In light of Wootton Bassett’s death on Tuesday, another timely winner for the team would be West Of Swindon, who lines up in Friday night’s Stutt Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) at The Valley.
Still a maiden, the colt boasts two Group placings and was a fine second behind the re-opposing Vinrock (I Am Invincible) in the Exford Plate (Listed, 1400m) at Flemington on September 13.
“Another horse who showed a lot at two, we knew before his first-up run [in a Kembla Grange maiden event] that he would improve with racing and stepping up in trip,” Gerard-Dubord said.
“He had no luck in his first run back but last-start at Flemington he was very good stepping up to 1400 metres. He had a tough trip, three-wide no cover, and he kept making ground to finish [1.8] lengths behind Vinrock.
“This time he’s got a good gate [barrier one], stepping up to a mile I don’t think will be an issue at all. He’s improved every start this prep and I think he’ll improve again.
“He hasn’t won a race yet – he’s been unlucky not to – but he’s definitely ready to win. If he could win tomorrow night he’ll be heading towards the Caulfield Guineas next and it would give great confidence.”
Looking to improve on their first-up efforts under the lights at The Valley will be Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Another Prophet (Brazen Beau) and the Group 3-winning Icarian Dream (Blue Point), with those mares going for the Stocks Stakes (Gr 2, 1500m) and Scarborough Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) respectively.
Meanwhile, the main mare for the stable on Friday’s The Valley card is undoubtedly Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai), who will make her first appearance since a tenth-placed finish in the Doomben Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) in May when tackling the Feehan Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m).
A recent trial win at Cranbourne has signalled the triple Group 1 winner’s fitness, though Gerard-Dubord is keen to see her do it on race-day.
“Everyone knows how she races so we need to have her as fit as we can going into it,” he said.
“She’s raced well at Moonee Valley in the past but she’s the kind of horse, every year when she comes back, we want to see on the track how she’s actually come back because you just never know until race-day.
“She’s the same kind of horse at home, she always does a lot, but until you get them back on track you don’t really know but we’ve been really happy with her. She looks well, she’ll improve for the run, she won first-up over 1800 metres last prep and she will take a lot of catching again.
“Obviously Treasurethe Moment is a very good mare who won’t be easy to beat, but we know Pride Of Jenni will try hard as always.”