Tempted fastest in G2 Run To The Rose at Rosehill

Exciting filly Tempted returned to racing in stunning fashion at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, 13 September to make a spring statement and give her connections multiple options to consider.

Ridden off the pace by visiting Melbourne jockey Ethan Brown, Tempted powered home in the straight to race past the former stablemate Beiwacht and Skyhook to give Godolphin five successive victories in the G2 Run To The Rose over 1,200m – and the operation’s sixth over the past seven years.

Tempted joined Traffic Warden (2024), Cylinder (’23), In Secret (’22), Anamoe (’21) and Bivouac (’19) as winners of the feature race, but the first to be trained by Ciaron Maher.

Maher, who took Tempted’s reins from former trainer James Cummings on 1 August under Godolphin’s new public training model, was “thrilled” with her 1.5-length victory in a fast 1 minute 9.74 seconds on track rated a Soft 6.

“She was very impressive, was obviously a crack two-year-old and she’s developed the right way,” Maher said.

“The Godolphin team, to be able to train for them, she’s a very, very high-class filly.

“I was saying to Brownie on the way to the races, ‘you’ll enjoy this one old son’.

“She doesn’t carry a huge amount of weight, but she couldn’t have even more impressive in her trial on that rain-affected track at Randwick.

“James (McDonald) was very buoyant about it, she’s worked very well since and you could see her coat coming on.

“She’s a lovely filly and I’m thrilled.”

Brown said Tempted, who was having her first start since winning the G2 Percy Sykes Stakes (1,200m) at Randwick on 12 April, after an unlucky third in the G1 Golden Slipper in March, had made his decision to travel north more than worthwhile.

“When I looked up at the top of the straight, knowing how the track has been playing, I thought she’d have to be really good to pick them up,” he said.

“She let down really well and she really impressed me.

“I thought she was a bit above herself and had a bit of freshness on her side.

“Once I got over her neck she was good and gave me a lovely ride throughout.”

Racing and breeding manager Jason Walsh paid tribute to the Godolphin organisation for its record in the Run To The Rose and said his team would discuss with Maher which races to target.

Walsh said the G1 Golden Rose over 1,400m at Rosehill in a fortnight was a definite possibility, as was next month’s $20 The Everest (1,200m) at Royal Randwick.

Running in both races was also possible, especially after Tempted carried a weight penalty in the Run To The Rose and still beat many of the colts easily.

Maher wouldn’t disclose his preference, but couldn’t hide his enthusiasm.    

“It’s great to be able to have these types of conversations,” he said.

“I’ll have a chat to the team (Godolphin), she has a lot of options and different ways to go.

“But given how she put them away it (Everest) would be very attractive.

“They are a great team, we’ve only been dealing with them a short time, but they’ll make the right call.

“Three-year-olds (Yes Yes Yes and Giga Kick) have a good record in The Everest.

“The fillies haven’t done as well as the colts, but she might be one out of the box.