Having clearly come back in outstanding form, Ciaron Maher’s G2-winning, G1 placed Street Boss filly Tempted justified her short odds with an emphatic victory in the G3 ATC Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m), setting herself up nicely for the G1 ATC Surround Stakes (1400m) on February 28.
A winner of the G2 ATC Run To The Rose last campaign before placing in both the G1 ATC Golden Rose and the G1 ATC The TAB Everest, Tempted maintained her unbeaten first up record as she defeated the boys with a facile display in the G3 ATC Eskimo Prince Stakes.
Short in the betting as expected, jockey Chad Schofield allowed Tempted to settle in fourth, tracking her main rival in the John O’Shea and Tom Charlton trained Napoleonic.
With the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Watson taking up the running, just two starts after breaking his maiden at Kembla Grange, the Tim Clark ridden Capitalist gelding led the field into the home turn.
Napoleonic and Tempted started their runs down the outside, and it was quite evident that the filly had more to offer than the colt as the chestnut daughter of Street Boss zoomed to the lead.
Although Napoleonic chased her all the way to the line, Tempted always had his measure, winning by a length and a quarter. Working home well, and still chasing an elusive stakes victory, the Chris Waller trained Wootton Bassett colt Wodeton recorded his sixth black type placing.
Representing the Ciaron Maher stable, Johan Gerard Dubord was effusive in his praise of the filly.
“When you run second in The Everest as a Spring 3yo, running on through the line, you know you've got a pretty special horse. She has come back really well. She went back to Godolphin to spell and came back looking magnificent,” said Dubord.
“Last prep it took her a couple of runs to turn the corner but this time, from day one, couldn't look any better. Everything has been very smooth.
“Her early target this prep is the Surround in three weeks. It is why we elected to run this week. She would have been better placed against the fillies next week but the three weeks gap works out better.
“A good ride from Chad, everything worked out well. Godolphin has sent us some very nice horses. Very good to deal with."
“Hard to tell [how much better she has come back]. Physically she has matured. 15kg heavier from last prep and definitely stronger in that regard. Does everything so easily.
“Hard to know what her ceiling is. Certainly, come back as well if not better. How much better is hard to know.
Riding Tempted for the first time, Chad Schofield understood that being on the favourite that the race could become tactical.
“That was a lot of fun,” said Schofield. “She's an aeroplane, really!"
“I knew this race might be very tactical. My two dangers were drawn to my inside and I knew they were not going to let me in easily. So, I pinged her out (barriers), got her across and I was able to just control the race."
“The speed was good, we all raced off the rail in single file. She was just 'asleep' in my hands, so relaxed, and as we came up the rise I was full of horse. All I had to do was steer!”
Outside of the top three just once in her ten starts to date highlighted by five wins, and more than $4.7m in earnings, the Godolphin bred Tempted is the best of three winners from four to the races out of the G2-winning Exceed And Excel mare Calliope.
Calliope, who is a sister to G3 winner Zethus and a three-quarter sister to G3 Bacchanalia and Listed winner Aquitaine, is also the dam of the dual G2 winner Kallos.
From the family of G1 VRC Oaks winner Bulla Borghese, Calliope’s 2yo colt by Pinatubo named Zambales made a solid debut recently for Anthony and Sam Freedman stable, finishing second over 1000m at Randwick on January 24.
After slipping to Brazen Beau, Calliope foaled a filly to Anamoe in September, before going back to the Champion son of Street Boss once again.
Tempted is one of 88 stakes winners for Darley’s Street Boss who was represented earlier in the day by his newest stakes winner when Closer To Free won the G3 MRC Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) on debut.
