Arguably one of the best local hopes heading towards this year’s $20m TAB Everest on October 17, Godolphin’s 4yo Street Boss mare Tempted resumed with victory in the $1m G2 ATC Concorde Stakes (1000m) and will be aiming to go one better than her second last year behind Ka Ying Rising.
All the rage in the betting, the Ciaron Maher trainer mare settled a little further back than normal, but jockey Chad Schofield had her travelling comfortably in seventh position with last year’s Concorde Stakes winner Headwall on her inside.
Racing off the fence, Queensland visitor Steady Ready had the lead with Roselyn’s Star to his inside while Golden Slipper winner Marhoona had settled just behind the leader.
Jockey Tommy Berry took Steady Ready into the home bend in front, but the runs were starting to come from back in the field with Schofield pushing the button on Tempted as she exploded at the 300m mark.
Gathering in the leaders and hitting the lead with 100m to run, Tempted raced away to secure her seventh black type victory from the unlucky Headwall who found trouble when starting to make his run.
Coming from one of the last on the turn to finish in third, Peter Snowden’s flashy Beadman looks to have returned in good fashion while Joe Pride’s King’s Secret finished narrowly in fourth and also looks one to watch moving forward.
“She’s even better than she was,” enthused Maher. “She has furnished a bit and she just keeps improving. The Godolphin team manage her very well and we’re thrilled to be able to train a horse like that.”
“She had shown us at home that she had come back in equally as good, if not better, condition. All her work has been super and Chad gave her a pretty good ride. I said to him when he got on, ‘she’ll give you a pretty good feel up the rise today’.
“She actually got there a bit soon. She sprinted that quick the race was over and she was half idling off. Absolutely thrilled with my team. They have managed her well.
“She was a bit edgy a couple of ‘preps’ ago, but she is developing all the time and certainly getting better.”
With a clash against Ka Ying Rising once again in the TAB Everest on the cards, Maher is happy with the progress his mare has made.
“I’ve seen the big Ka Ying (Rising). He’s getting better as well, so we need to. But thrilled and looking forward to what lies ahead.”
“You’d like to be bridling up on his backside, that’s for sure. All we can do is manage our horse and I’m rapt with the way she has come back.”
As to where she will head next, Maher is set to follow a tried and test path.
“The Premiere. It’s the path we have used the last three years successfully, so she will be the same, I think. It will suit her.
Building an exciting relationship with Tempted, jockey Chad Schofield was once again in awe of the mare.
“Very impressive,” said Maher. “She jumped well. She sort of found that tempo a bit too quick, she normally travels so well in her races, but she couldn’t quite do that at that speed. She started to get comfortable from about the 700m.”
“I was very happy to see Headwall go in, because I wasn’t letting him out. When I let her go it was just bang. So sharp and she felt terrific.”
“Mentally yes (she feels better) and even physically. Her turn of foot, and she has always had an amazing turn of foot, but that one there today was pretty good to feel.
“Pre-race today she’s walking behind the gates with her head on the floor, calm, and she’s first up so there is more to come”
With eight wins and four placed efforts from 13 starts, Tempted’s long neck victory took her earnings to $6,438,650.
Clearly the best of three winners from four to the races out of the G2-winning Exceed And Excel mare Calliope, a sister to G3 winner Zethus, a three-quarter sister to G3 winner Bacchanalia and Listed winner Aquitaine, the mare is also the dam of the dual G2 winner Kallos and the multiple stakes placed 3yo Zambales.
From the family of G1 VRC Oaks winner Bulla Borghese, Calliope foaled a filly to Anamoe in September 2025, before unfortunately slipping to the Champion son of Street Boss the following season.
One of 14 G1 winners for Street Boss amongst his 91 international stakes winner, the son of Street Cry is standing this season at a fee of $66,000 (inc. GST) at Darley’s Northwood Park.
