Tempted clinches first Group 1 with gritty Surround victory
Godolphin’s top-class filly Tempted (Street Boss) achieved a deserved first elite-level success at Randwick on Saturday, successfully stepping up in distance to claim the $750,000 Surround Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) in tough style.
The Ciaron Maher-trained three-year-old had already proven her ability over 1200 metres against the best, having finished third in the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) behind Marhoona (Snitzel) after defeating that filly the start prior, and also being the first local home in last October’s Everest (Gr 1, 1200m) behind only the brilliant Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress).
She resumed with a dominant win against the colts in February’s Eskimo Prince Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) and was sent out a firm $1.60 favourite to break through at the highest level against her own sex on Saturday, despite being winless at the 1400-metre distance.
Once the barrier opened Savvy Hallie (Hellbent) rolled forward to dictate terms, with Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Ole Dancer (Ole Kirk) positioned close at hand, while Chad Schofield allowed Tempted to find her rhythm midfield amid genuine early pressure.
Turning for home, Schofield had Tempted building smoothly through her gears and she ranged up alongside Savvy Hallie before digging deep in a sustained duel, thrusting her head out on the line to prevail by 0.2 lengths. Ole Dancer held third another 1.7 lengths back, with Group 1 scorer Apocalyptic (Extreme Choice) disappointing five lengths off the winner in fourth.
A relieved Maher admitted his concern in the final stages, and said the distance stretched the filly’s limits.
“Chad knew what he had underneath him. I was actually thinking, ‘God, get a little more desperate’ halfway down the straight,” the winning trainer said post-race.
“The 1400 metres is probably right at the top of her distance range, as we’ve seen. She’s run second and now won at Group 1 level, but you’d think she is more dynamic at 1200 metres.”
Maher indicated the original plan of a TJ Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) tilt against older sprinters could now be reassessed, with connections to determine the next move. A trip overseas is also a possibility.
When asked if Tempted was among the best sprinters he had trained, Maher said she was better than 2024 Everest winner Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) at the same stage, but only time would tell if she could match the latter’s longevity.
“She is definitely right up there. She ran second to the best sprinter in the world as a three-year-old. You’d think with furnishing, she is only going to get better,” he said.
It was a bittersweet finish for connections of Savvy Hallie, who were both proud of their filly and gutted to lose a Group 1 in a photo finish.
“Heartbreaking to get beaten,” jockey Nash Rawiller said. “I loved her tenacity. She made Tempted really work for it. She was great.”
With six wins and four placings from 11 starts, Tempted has now amassed more than $5.1 million in prize-money earnings.
Bred and raced by Godolphin, she is the standout performer from four foals to race out of the Group 2-winning Exceed And Excel (Danehill) mare Calliope, herself a sister to Group 3 winner Zethus. Calliope is also the dam of dual Group 2 scorer Kallos (Medaglia D’Oro) and recent Talindert Stakes (Listed, 1100m) placegetter Zambales (Pinatubo) and descends from the family of VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) heroine Bulla Borghese (Belong To Me).
In winning Saturday’s race, Tempted became the 13th individual Group 1 winner, and third this season, for Darley’s flying sire Street Boss (Street Cry), following the exploits of Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) winner Tentyris and Pericles’s Futurity Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) success last week.
The son of Street Cry (Machiavellian) covered 70 mares at an unchanged $66,000 (inc GST) fee last spring and will be represented by six yearlings at the Inglis Premier Sale, which begins on Sunday.