The winner of The Everest, Tempted, dey expected to round off her spring campaign for the Group 1 Champions Sprint over 1200m at Flemington on the final day of the Melbourne Cup carnival. Connections of the Godolphin mare dey ready to leave a $1m bonus on the table so she can test the Flemington straight.
Tempted won The Everest at Randwick on Saturday, beating the world’s highest-rated racehorse Ka Ying Rising to take the $20 million race. The win also put her in an unassailable lead in the Sportsbet Sprint Series, with a guaranteed $1m bonus. A win in the $3m Group 2 Russell Balding Stakes over 1300m at Randwick on Golden Eagle Day would have added another $1m bonus, but that race now looks set to be left for others.
The Street Boss mare never race down the Flemington straight before. Trainer Ciaron Maher and owners Godolphin want to see how she go handle the straight-six, with an eye on the autumn and possible international assignments in 2027. That plan includes the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint over 1200m in Dubai in March, while a Royal Ascot bid in June dey also listed as less likely.
Godolphin’s Australian Racing and Bloodstock Manager Jason Walsh talk about the plan. “We’d love to give her the opportunity down the straight because it does give us some information for the autumn and potentially some international campaigns for next year and beyond,” na wetin Walsh yarn. “Ciaron and his team’s advice will play a big part in that decision and where we ultimately head.”
Tempted don win 10 of her 15 starts, and 14 of those runs na for Sydney. Her only run outside Sydney was the 2025 Blue Diamond at Caulfield in her third start. The mare has now won two Group 1s and more than $14.5 million in prizemoney.
After the news say she likely head to the Champions Sprint, Tempted became a short-priced favourite for the race. Her expected absence from the Russell Balding Stakes go please connections of some of her Everest rivals, because a cool $1m in bonuses still dey for runners wey tackle The Everest and push on to the $3m race on October 31. Maher sweep both bonuses in 2024 when Bella Nipotina land The Everest-Russell Balding double.
