3-year-old Summary: Tempted toys with the boys in the 'Run To The Rose'

Cover image courtesy of Sportpix

Tempted too strong for the boys in the ‘Run To The Rose’

The talented filly Tempted (Street Boss {USA}) produced a barnstorming performance in the G2 Run To The Rose Stakes, her first start for the Ciaron Maher stable.

Raging Force (Cosmic Force) set a strong tempo under Tommy Berry as he chased a fifth consecutive win, with Beiwacht (Bivouac) close to the speed. The field was strung out, and while Raging Force tried to kick at the 300-metre mark, he quickly came under pressure. Beiwacht loomed dangerously at the 250 metres and looked the likely winner.

However, wider out Tempted was cruising. Ethan Brown sent her forward, and she swept past to put the race away, scoring by more than a length and a half from the brave Beiwacht. The fast-finishing Skyhook (Written Tycoon) flashed home for a slashing third, with Wodeton (Wootton Bassett {GB}) also excellent in fourth, making strong ground from well back.

Ciaron Maher couldn’t hide his delight with the filly’s performance.

“She is ultimately very impressive. She was a crack 2-year-old and has developed the right way. Thrilled to be able to train for the Godolphin team. She is a very, very high-class filly. I was saying to Brownie when he was on the way to the races, ‘You’ll enjoy this one old son.’"

“You can see she doesn’t carry a huge amount of weight. She couldn’t have been more impressive in her trial on a rain-affected track at Randwick. She has worked very well since. You can see her coat coming on.”

Ethan Brown was equally impressed.

“She let down really well. When I looked up at the top of the straight, knowing how the track was playing, I thought she would have to be really good to pick these up and she was. She really impressed.”

Pedigree Information: The Godolphin-bred and raced filly is the fifth foal from Calliope (Exceed And Excel), a high-class juvenile herself who won both the G2 Magic Night Stakes and the Listed Gimcrack Stakes. She has now produced three winners, including Kallos (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), a dual Group 2 winner who also succeeded at Group 3 and Listed level.

Since producing Tempted, Calliope has delivered a 2-year-old colt by Pinatubo (Ire) named Zambales. After slipping to Brazen Beau, she foaled a filly earlier this month by the Champion son of Street Boss (USA) in Anamoe - therefore a three-quarter sister to Tempted.

Sixties too slick in front in the Ming Dynasty

It was nothing short of a front-running masterclass from jockey Rachel King aboard the Chris Waller-trained Sixties (Flying Artie) in the G3 Ming Dynasty Stakes.

The younger full brother to dual Group 1 winner Artorius led throughout, holding off the previously unbeaten Autumn Boy (The Autumn Sun), who enjoyed a soft run in fifth before charging late into second. Without Peer (Pierata) stuck on bravely for third.

Waller's stable representative Charlie Duckworth was delighted with the effort of his well-bred colt, who had broken his maiden by more than seven lengths just two starts ago.

“He was very tough. We’ve obviously beaten a very good horse too. Full credit to the horse’s performance too and to the ride that Rachel gave him. She was able to dictate and do things her own way. To be fair he gave a dominant kick at the top of the straight.

"Obviously when he broke through for his maiden win he won by seven which takes an above average horse to win any race by seven. He is a very well bred colt and a group winner. Onwards and upwards for him.”

King was equally thrilled with her colt’s performance.

“I think he ran it out strongly. He probably just got a bit lonely at the end.

“He's quite a casual customer and he began well but I had to give him a little squeeze just to let him know what we were doing today. Once he got there, he really relaxed and I felt like through the mid stages, he got a really good breather in.

“I was happy to give him a squeeze just before the corner so I did ask him a question quite early, but I thought this is probably going to be to our advantage and hopefully we could skip away, which he did and held on well at the end.”

Sales Information: Sixties was purchased for $350,000 by Aramco Racing from the Vinery Stud draft at the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. He has been the most expensive yearling purchased by his sire Flying Artie.

Pedigree information: Sixties is a full-brother to the G1 Canterbury Stakes and G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner and young stallion at Newgate Farm in Artorius. He also ran in the top four in another seven Group 1 races, including twice at Royal Ascot.

Sixties is the sixth foal from the unraced mare Gracie’s Lass (Redoute’s Choice), a half-sister to Delectation (Shamardal {USA}) who won the G1 Darley Classic, another top class performer in this family is Southport Tycoon who was a dual Group 1 winner and has just started his first season at stud at Widden Stud Victoria.

Since producing Sixties, Gracie’s Lass has produced a 2-year-old filly by Home Affairs, a yearling colt by Pinatubo (Ire), and is due to foal to Pierata in late October.

Vinrock stamps his class in the Exford Plate

There was no doubting Vinrock (I Am Invincible) was the standout in the Listed Exford Plate. A Group 1 winner as a juvenile, he carried a 102 handicap rating - 28 points higher of his nearest rival.

The Matt Laurie-trained colt jumped quickly from the outside barrier under his big weight, with Mark Zahra content to sit outside the pace-making Wise Inlaw (Wootton Bassett {GB}). The tempo was only moderate, but at the 300-metre mark Vinrock loomed as the winner, and so it proved, powering clear to score by 1.75l.

West Of Swindon (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was excellent running on strongly after enduring the toughest run of the field, while Wise Inlaw fought on well for third, and Hillier (Zoustar) closed off tidily for fourth.

When asked about Vinrock’s racing style, Laurie was quick to highlight his tactical advantage.

“I think that's one of his assets. He can begin well, obviously over a shorter trip he sort of found it a little bit trickier, but he's a horse that we've always felt would be pretty good over a little bit further. It was a good set up today for Mark, and I'm very pleased to see him back in the winner’s circle.”

Laurie also praised the colt’s determination and stallion credentials.

“I think he's a pretty tough horse; you put it to him, he tries pretty hard so I think when the going gets tough he'll give his best. He's a quality colt, he's by the right stallion. I'm really pleased for Yulong, they've purchased him, he's going to be standing there one day, and it's nice to add to his CV again.”

As for where Vinrock heads next, Laurie was keeping options open.

“I was hoping we'd be going to a Golden Rose third up. I still think we should be looking that path, but we'll have a good chat tomorrow.”

Sales Information: Vinrock sold for $300,000 at the 2024 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale with Matt Laurie Racing and Wilannah Park Bloodstock being the successful purchasers from the draft of Rosemont Stud. After winning the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes in the autumn, Yu Long Investments bought into the colt and he now wears the famous Yulong colours.

Pedigree Information: Vinrock is the third live-foal from the talented Redoute’s Choice mare Girl Gone Rockin’ who won just under $300,000 on the track including the G2 Matriarch Stakes.

Girl Gone Rockin’s first two foals to race have both been winners including Maisy (Pierro) who has been a two-time winner and Rocky Rogue (Written Tycoon) who has also won twice. Girl Gone Rockin’ since producing Vinrock, has left a 2-year-old filly named Sherika (Pierro), and is due to foal to Churchill (Ire) later this month.

My Gladiola lives up to her name down the straight

The Jamie Mott-ridden My Gladiola (I Am Invincible) stamped herself as a filly full of class with an impressive win in the Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes, topping a field of 18 talented 3-year-old fillies.

Trained by John McArdle, the stylish grey was forced to jump from the widest gate on the grandstand side but still settled into a prominent position. She painted a pretty picture bursting down the outside, potentially floated a little bit and then and had to withstand the strong finish of the Peter Snowden-trained Akaysha (Capitalist), while the beautifully bred Inkaruna (I Am Invincible) resumed in eye-catching fashion to grab third.

McArdle was delighted with his filly’s second stakes victory but felt there was still more to come.

“She probably got a bit looky when she hit the front. Just early, from the bad gate she didn't find the cover that we wanted. She switches off when she finds cover, but she did pull pretty hard. So there's good improvement in her.

“But Jamie knows her brilliantly and he just let her build into the race, probably got a bit lost when she got to the front but she's a very well-bred filly. Kia Ora Stud, great supporters, and Paul Johnson and the other owners. So yeah, great to get a win for them.”

When asked whether the filly would step up in trip or stick to sprinting, McArdle added:

“I think she will. I think maybe in the autumn she'll be a 1,400 metre horse. But at the moment, myself, Luke Wilkinson from Kia Ora, Paul Johnson and Brent Clayton all sat down and worked out a plan with her and so far, so good.

“She was unlucky in the Quezette. She's won here today, so the plan will be to take the colts on in the Danehill. That's why she came here, to get a look down the straight, and then if she acquits herself well enough against the colts, we'll head to the Coolmore.”

Sales Information: Bred and offered for sale by Kia Ora Stud, My Gladiola was a $550,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale purchase for Redgum Racing last year.

Pedigree Information: She is the fifth winner for her dam Villa Verde (Not A Single Doubt), who was a winner at Group 2 level and Listed level twice. She also placed in the G1 The Galaxy and finished fourth in Zoustar’s G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes.

She is a three-quarter-sister in blood to Widden Victoria's multiple Group-winning stallion Doubtland. Since producing My Gladiola, Villa Verde has left a 2-year-old filly named Bella Lavita (Pierro), and foaled an Ole Kirk colt late last month.

Legacy Bound remains unbeaten

The Robbie Griffiths-trained Legacy Bound (Ole Kirk) may have been giving away race fitness to several rivals in the Listed Poseidon Stakes, but he confirmed his will to win as Mark Zahra guided him to his third victory from as many starts.

Always prominent, he shared the running down the straight on the railside with the speedy Shining Smile (Spirit Of Boom) for company. The tempo wasn’t hectic, so both had a strong kick late, but when the classy Tycoon Star (Written Tycoon) loomed out wide he looked the likely winner.

Things quickly changed, though, as Legacy Bound kicked back hard before the Ciaron Maher-trained Navy Pilot (I Am Invincible) stormed late down the outside to just miss, with Legacy Bound holding on narrowly from Navy Pilot, while Tycoon Star ran third.

Trainer Robbie Griffiths admitted to some nerves while waiting for the result.

“I was hoping it was 1099 metres. I was a bit worried about that photo finish, but he's a good horse. I was really cautious today as I said pre-race, he’d never been down the straight, and the key runners had had two runs each.

“Ironically, the two first-up horses ran one-two, but he's a good horse, and he's got room to improve and it gives us a lot of excitement now going into the Danehill in three weeks, and then the Coolmore.

“I’m rapt about today, but I'm looking forward to the Danehill next because now he's had that straight track experience, it's going to help him.”

Zahra was also impressed with the colt’s attitude.

“He’s got a good will to win, he’s a horse you have to ride very smooth because of his wind, it just worked out nicely, had to quicken up inside the 400 (metres) when they sprinted. It was a fight late but he was up for it, and it was a good win.”

Pedigree Information: Legacy Bound is the fourth foal and second winner for Sanaya (More Than Ready {USA}), a Kembla Grange-winning mare bred and raced by Vinery Stud.

Sanaya has a yearling full sister to Legacy Bound, and foaled an Exceedance filly earlier this month. She is out of G2 WH Stocks Stakes winner Astrodame (Flying Spur), from the prolific family of G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Midnight Fever (Luskin Star).