Saturday Summary: Tempted slays the King

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

The Everest gave us everything we hoped for

After a week of rain in Sydney, the sun came out on Saturday morning and shone brightly on the hallowed turf at Randwick. The most anticipated race of the season – the rematch between Hong Kong’s champion and last year’s victor Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) and last year’s second placed Tempted (Street Boss {USA}) – was on, and the weather was no longer an excuse.

With Tempted in barrier one and Ka Ying Rising in barrier 11, the pair jumped well with Zac Purton electing to go towards the outside of the speed with the reigning champion. Savvy Hallie (Hellbent) led from Blue Door (Stay Inside) as Ka Ying Rising had to slot back into the field ending up further back than he typically runs in seventh. Chad Schofield on Tempted sat in behind the leaders with Ninja (Farnan) beside her with Spicy Martini (Justify {USA}) outside them.

Into the straight, Ka Ying Rising had to go wide, while Tempted sprinted clear from the fading leaders. Ka Ying Rising began to accelerate, dragging Headwall (Dream Ahead {USA}) in his wake, and Joliestar (Zoustar) came from mid-field to try and challenge.

But it was all Tempted who had two lengths on the field with 50 metres to go. Ka Ying Rising dived on the line to miss by 0.23 of a length with Joliestar in third and Headwall in fourth with less than a length covering the first four home.

“This mare hasn't been beaten since The Everest last year and she has rectified it this year,” trainer Ciaron Maher said.

“I always had an air of confidence she would run her best race today and you could see the way she was building through it. Chad knew what he had under him and I felt barrier one was ideal.

“She had to be at her absolute best and she was. She went forward, made her own luck, and 'God', this is amazing. This mare was there to be beaten but she did it!”

Tempted is unbeaten this calendar year in six starts and has won the G2 Concorde Stakes, G2 Premiere Stakes and now The Everest this spring. All up, the 4-year-old mare has won 10 of her 15 starts and over $14.5 million.

Ka Ying Rising's trainer David Hayes was pragmatic in defeat.

“We didn’t expect him to be there, but it was the barrier,” Hayes said.

“Sometimes eleven can be a bonus, but he got caught wide. He settled a bit further back than we thought he would, and if we have to take a positive out of it, he was in front one stride after the post.

"The first and third horse cut the corner and really had dream runs, and we had a horror run being six-wide, no cover. But he was brave, and I love the way he finished, but I hate the result."

Sales: A homebred for Godolphin.

Pedigree: Tempted is one of four winners from four to race out of G2 Magic Night Stakes winner Calliope (Exceed And Excel), who is also the dam of dual Group 2 winner Kallos (Medaglia d'Oro {USA}) and stakes placed 3-year-old colt Zambales (Pinatubo {Ire}).

Calliope is a sister to Group 3 winner Zethus (Exceed And Excel) and a three-quarter sister to Group 3 winner Bacchanalia (Exceed And Excel) and Listed winner Aquitaine (Exceed And Excel) . It's an extremely deep page which descends from G1 VRC Oaks winner Bulla Borghese (Belong to Me {USA}).

Autumn Glow is unstoppable in King Charles

Reigning Horse Of The Year Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) scarred off most of her opposition for the G1 King Charles III Stakes at Randwick, with only five other horses signing up to have a crack at her. Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) had to be scratched a couple of days prior to the race due to a minor leg infection, reducing the opposition to four.

The race went as expected with James McDonald nicely placed on the bend out wide with Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) and Gavin Bedggood-trained Just Folk (Magnus) to the Chris Waller-trained 5-year-old mare’s inside. As soon as she straightened up and was asked the question, the race was over as she galloped clear.

Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) fought on bravely to chip her lead down to 2.2 lengths on the line with the remaining trio crossing the line a further seven lengths back within half a length of each other and Just Folk holding on for third place prizemoney.

“She was pretty self explanatory, lobbed into a good spot and clicked her up at the 600 metres,” McDonald said.

“I wanted to open her up today. She hasn't had a lung buster for a few starts so I opened her there late and she got to the line. I was waiting for Ceolwulf with his blinkers on and he never came.”

She took her record to 14 wins from 15 starts and this was her fifth elite level victory. She has earnings over $12.8 million.

Sales: Autumn Glow was bred by Newhaven Park and sold as a weanling for $600,000 to Silverdale Farm and Shrone Bloodstock, before topping the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale at $1.8 million, purchased by Arrowfield Pastoral and Hermitage Thoroughbreds.

Pedigree: By Arrowfield Stud’s The Autumn Sun, she is one of five individual G1 winners for the stallion.

One of two individual Group 1 winners from three to race out of South African champion sprinter and multiple G1 winner Via Africa (Saf) (Var {USA}), Autumn Glow is a three-quarter sister to G1 Golden Rose winner In The Congo.

Via Africa lost two foals by Snitzel following Autumn Glow, and is currently in foal to Zoustar.

Roaring Lion quinella in G1 Caulfield Cup

The 150th running of the G1 Caulfield Cup will be remembered for all the wrong reasons with last year’s winner Half Yours (St Jean {Ire}) falling in the straight and causing Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) also fall.

Half Yours returned to the tie up stalls with minor injuries, but unfortunately dual Oaks winner Ohope Wins was euthanised. Both jockeys remained conscious. Mark Zahra (Half Yours) was taken to hospital for further assessment while Jye McNeil (Ohope Wins) was treated on course.

"Few words can express our current emotions. Our wonderful Ohope Wins was sadly brought down in today's Caulfield Cup, and despite all efforts from the on-course veterinarians, could not be saved," Yulong and Chris Waller said in a statement.

"A dual Oaks winner and Champion in her native New Zealand, Ohope Wins was a true star of the turf, but to the people who looked after her everyday, she was so much more.

"She was brave. She was kind. She was full of character. But more importantly, she was loved. Our hearts go out to all involved throughout her career, especially those who cared for her on a daily basis. Thank you for all the kind messages."

The fall happened mid-field allowing jockey John Allen to take Gavin Bedggood-trained Kingswood (GB) (Roaring Lion {USA}) down the centre of the track to gather in the leaders. Ill-fated Roaring Lion (USA), who served only one season in the Northern Hemisphere before succumbing to colic, also sired the second placed Saint George (GB).

Any other year, the headlines would have been about the two greys running one-two and the loss to the breeding industry of four-time Group 1 winner Roaring Lion, a son of Kitten’s Joy (USA), who has had eight stakes winners from that sole crop of 107 foals. G1 Saint-Cloud Critérium de Saint-Cloud winner Dubai Mile (Ire) is his other elite level winner, while Saint George looks likely to add to his record sometime soon.

“I'm rapt with my team at home. He felt the ground last Saturday, we sent him down to Loriston Thoroughbred Farm where he goes in between runs, he had a couple days down in the salt water at the beach and he came home,” Bedggood said.

“Jasmine, who's strapping him today, she's my stepdaughter. She rides him in his slow work. We haven't had to do anything with him all week, it's just been about managing him. I'm rapt with my owners for backing me. Everybody wanted to sort of question me at the mile and a half. It's great.

“My partner, Karen, she's my right hand. I yell and scream at her all morning, turns up every day. Great work riders, great ground staff. Great farrier, great vet, you know, it's a big team effort.”

The victory was Kingswood’s second elite win following the 2025 G1 Zabeel Classic in New Zealand on Boxing Day last year. He took his record to seven wins from 24 starts and earnings over $4.9 million.

“New Zealand was great. We went over there with a target to win a Group 1 because there was limited opportunities for him at that time of year and he had a limited spring. We hit every target this preparation when we sat down and made a plan. To win the Grand Final is fantastic.”

Sales: A €130,000 (AU$210,000) yearling, Kingswood arrived in Australia in the spring of 2023 as a stakes placed maiden winner.

Pedigree: The fourth foal of triple Listed winner All At Sea (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Kingswood’s year older half-brother Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was named Europe’s Champion 3-Year-Old Stayer after winning both the G1 St Leger and G1 Irish St Leger.

All At Sea is one of four stakes winners for G1 Preis von Europa, G1 Düsseldorf Westlb Deutschland Preis and G1 Köln Rheinland Pokal der Stadtsparkasse victrix Albanova (GB) (Alzao {USA}). Her Listed winner Alwilda (GB) (Hernando {Fr}) is the dam of six-time Group 1 winner, including the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) as well as Listed winner Alpenblume (GB) (Kendargent {Fr}).

All At Sea is also a half-sister to stakes placed Albamara (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) who is the dam of G2 Brisbane Cup winner Alalcance (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}).

Cavalry Girl thrills Caulfield with Sprint victory

In form Tom Dabernig-trained 4-year-old mare Cavalry Girl (Bivouac) was sent out as favourite for the G2 Caulfield Sprint by punters. Since resuming in May, she’s had eight starts for five wins and three placings, including a last start second in the G1 AJ Moir Stakes to My Gladiola (I Am Invincible), and winning her three prior to that. Sent to the front by Craig Williams, she was a length clear on the turn and put in an extra effort at the 150 metre mark to extend her lead.

Chasing into second was Simon Zahra-trained Don’t Hope Do (So You Think {NZ}) who was 1.25 lengths in arrears on the line with John O'Shea and Tom Charlton-trained Bev’s Nine (Shalaa {Ire}) in third.

“I just said pre-race, it's been a bit of a long six weeks because she's naturally such an athletic, talented filly,” Dabernig said of the gap between this and her last start.

“It's been sort of trying to maintain that freshness. So there's been plenty of work at the beach and we took her to Murtoa for a little jump out. Will Gordon actually rode her and he got off and he said, ‘I'm not used to riding these fast horses like this.’

“I think it nearly left him behind when it jumped out of the gate. But she's done a great job and we're very proud of her and hopefully we can keep extending that through to Melbourne Cup Week now.

“There's a couple of straight races, there's one on Melbourne Cup Day and whether we consider the 1100 now, although she is a 1000m specialist, so we'll try and get her there and then concentrate on the autumn I think.”

Cavalry Girl is one of eight stakes winners for Bivouac and is from his first crop. She now has eight wins, three at black type, from 19 starts and earnings over $830,000.

Sales: Vinery Stud sold her to Prime Thoroughbreds for $110,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

Pedigree: Cavalry Girl is the first foal from Islands (I Am Invincible) who has 3-year-old filly Pacifico (The Autumn Sun) and 2-year-old filly My Island Girl (Russian Revolution). She foaled a filly by Stay Inside this spring.

Islands is a half-sister to G2 Reisling Stakes and R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic victrix Military Rose (General Nediym) who is the granddam of G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Campione D’Italia (Snitzel) and dual Group 3-winning juvenile now sire Espionage.

Grafterburners gives Queensland a second Sydney Stakes

Queensland raided the G2 Sydney Stakes in 2025 with recently retired Rothfire (Rothesay) and they were back in 2026 with Kelly Schweida-trained Grafterburners (Graff). Schweida has travelled Grafterburners to Sydney three times this campaign, running mid-field in the G2 Shorts before a fourth in the G2 Premiere Stakes last start to Tempted (Street Boss {USA}), Savvy Hallie (Hellbent) and Marhoona (Snitzel).

With the first two running first and last in the G1 The Everest, Grafterburners bypassed The Everest to turn the tables on Marhoona this time out. Overpass (Vancouver) led the big field into the straight with Nash Rawiller sitting on his inside with Grafterburners. Charm Stone (I Am Invincible) was in the mix and Marhoona found a gap through but it was Grafterburners who bolted clear with 150 metres to go to win by 1.5 lengths from Marhoona with Overpass third and Charm Stone fourth.

“We got offered a slot (in The Everest), to be honest, but we thought… the good horse (Ka Ying Rising) would win it, Tempted had beaten us fair and square a couple of times, so we elected to go this way with the prizemoney, and we didn't have to share it with anyone,” Schweida said.

“A really good effort, and if he pulls up all right, I wouldn't mind having a crack at that race in Melbourne (G1 Champions Sprint) in a few weeks. He needs a Group 1, being a colt. That race last year was The Galaxy and he had a little hissy-fit (when scratched at the barriers). That was his Group 1 that we thought got away from us.

“But he showed today what he's capable of doing, and they were pretty good horses there today and he was strong through the line.”

Sales: Grafterburners was purchased for $70,000 from the draft of Canning Downs Stud at the 2022 Inglis Classic Sale.

Pedigree: Grafterburners is the sole stakes winner for Graff, whose oldest are 4-year-olds. His dam Coralina (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) has produced five winners and Grafterburners is her sixth named foal. She has an unnamed 3-year-old colt by Jonker and has missed the last three seasons.

Coralina is an unraced half-sister to G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Overreach and Group 2 winner Standout. Overreach is the dam of Group 2 winner and young sire Lofty Strike. This is also the family of G1 Blue Diamond winner and sire Reward For Effort.