Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
There are many peaks left to climb before the spring is over, so who looks like they will capture another summit and whose times suggest they might be better off staying at base camp?
Is Tempted ready to reach a new peak in the Everest?
Tempted's (Street Boss {USA}) last 400 metres in Saturday’s G2 Premiere Stakes was almost a full second faster than any other winner on the day.
The Godolphin mare looked brilliant winning the Randwick feature. But sometimes a horse dazzles the eye before the clock tells a different story.
All hat and no cattle. All that glitters is not gold. All sizzle and no steak.
In racing, we simply call it “style, no substance”.
Tempted delivered both.
She rattled home in 21.88s, with God's Window (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) the next quickest winner at 22.80s in the G1 Epsom Handicap. And here is what makes her such an interesting discussion for the G1 The Everest: her two most recent starts have produced her two career peaks.
She is winning brilliantly because she has gone to a new level. Horses on that trajectory should never be underestimated.
Could this be the beginning of an unbeaten streak? Against Australian opposition, you could make a strong case. But there’s a bloke from Hong Kong being mentioned in the same breath as Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) - the greatest sprinter of the modern era.
Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) was beaten in Tuesday morning’s trial, just as he was before winning the Everest 12 months ago.
On our figures, he was at least three lengths below his usual Hong Kong rating when winning the world’s richest turf race in 2025, and further below his peak. That’s how good he is: he travelled, performed below his best and still won.
Tempted finished second that day with a significant weight advantage as a 3-year-old filly. But she’s now running about three lengths better.
Where’s all this dribble going?
If Ka Ying Rising repeats last year’s Everest figure, Tempted beats him on our ratings.
Please don’t mistake that for a tip against the Hong Kong superstar. It means he will need to bring a better performance to Randwick this year if he’s to go back-to-back.
De Armas the dark horse in Flight washup
Global Goal (Pinatubo {Ire}) won a moderate G1 Flight Stakes. The overall time was two lengths outside standard, with closing splits of 23.6s and 12.0s. Given the slow early tempo, those finishing figures weren’t particularly strong.
Striking Alibi (Hanseatic) pulled up lame and can be forgiven. De Armas (NZ) (Ardrossan) is worth watching: she was tackling a distance beyond 1200 metres for the first time and went straight to the mile second-up. There may be improvement to come.
Wetter the better for God's Window
The Epsom Handicap was above average. A fast tempo helped God's Window clock 1:35.0s - a good time in Soft conditions - with closing splits of 22.8s and 11.7s. Only Tempted finished faster.
God's Window might be better than we thought when he gets his preferred wet ground.
The now G2 Metropolitan Handicap was a walk and offered little guide. Juja Kibo (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) outsprinted his rivals, while The Euphrates (GB) (Frankel {GB}) should be much better suited rolling along in front at an even tempo.
Unleeshing (Dundeel {NZ}) was terrific in the other mile race. She absorbed sustained pressure and kept finding, arguably on slightly inferior ground. Bjorn Baker’s mare used Lane 4, closer to the fence than any other winner on a day that favoured runners off the rail.
Does a sizzling Danehill give us clues for a Coolmore?
The Next Episode (Snitzel) turned heads winning Flemington’s G2 Danehill Stakes over 1200 metres. His last 600 metres was 11 metres faster than standard, again showing how effective he is in a sit-and-sprint where he can unleash that dash.
The question is how he handles a genuinely testing 1200 metres. Under those circumstances, I would back Natural Fling (Home Affairs) to turn the tables.
The Turnbull take-home message
Cosmic Crusader (NZ) (Maurice {Jpn}) emphatically ticked the 2000-metre box in the G1 Turnbull Stakes.
He was on trial at the trip and got a proper test, with Light Infantry Man (Fr) (Fast Company {Ire}) covering the first 1400 metres four lengths faster than standard. You do wonder whether that effort might leave some of these horses flat next start.
There’s been plenty of praise for Aeliana's (NZ) (Castelvecchio) third. I am less convinced.
A Heavy track, an extra run under her belt and a strong tempo gave her a serious opportunity to beat Sir Delius (GB) (Frankel {GB}). If she couldn’t do it under those circumstances, you have to wonder what more she needs to turn the tables this spring.
The G1 Cox Plate will be a beauty.
Saintly Dancer (NZ) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}) and Skybird (Exosphere) also produced fast times, but how much did they relish the bog? And what happens when they return to dry ground? I am cautious about following the Flemington form from last weekend.
