One girl v’s eight boys is the Yulong sponsored $1m Golden Rose Stakes for 2025, with the Godolphin 3yo filly Tempted the $3 race favourite with Australian wide wagering agencies.
“Tempted was magnificent in winning the Run to The Rose at Rosehill two weeks ago,” said Bill Picken, who established the Golden Rose in 2003 when Director of the Sydney Turf Club.
“She’s an excellent example of the modern day Australian dam-line that the American and Europeans are sourcing, and I do congratulate Godolphin for standing their international sires here.”
“By Darley’s dual US Group 1 winner Street Boss, a son of Street Cry, she is from the family of the VRC Oaks winner Bulla Borghere, that has clicked so well with champion sire Exceed and Excel.”
“Also being from the Exceed and Excel Magic Night winner Calliope, Tempted is half-sister to the dual Group 2 winning mare Kallos, sired by the successful Darley shuttle stallion Medaglia d’Oro.”
In fact, Tempted cemented her Golden Rose favouritism with a 1½ length victory over stable-mate Beiwacht in the Run to The Rose, first up from a 20 week spell for new trainer Ciaron Maher.
Breaking cleanly from Barrier 5, jockey Ethan Brown had her racing mid field in a strung out race, and moving up on the turn she made her long finishing run at the 350m and won going away.
Clocking 1-09.74s for the 1200m on a Soft 5 track, Ethan Brown will again in the irons, jumping from Barrier 8 and is looking to join Forensics, 2008, as the only filly’s to win the Golden Rose.
“With only 9 runners, this Golden Rose is certainly a race of champions with every runner there to win,” continued Bill Picken, who went onto be President of the former Sydney Turf Club.
“We will certainly see all the eight colts standing at the top studs, and the winner be champion sire, but can they hold out the filly Tempted who is weighted 54.5kg, getting 2kg from the colts.”
And with Bill Picken also speaking highly of Arrowfield and Coolmore for their racing industry foresight it’s Arrowfield with 2018 Golden Rose winner The Autumn Sun who has Autumn Boy.
Priced as the $4.80 second pick Autumn Boy with be ridden by Jason Colllett from Barrier 7 for Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller, who also has Wodeton at $5 with James McDonald in Gate 2.
Sired by Coolmore’s ill-fated sire sensation Wooton Bassett, Wodeton will carry the dark blue silks of Coolmore, with Wootton Bassett also having State Visit at $61 with Chad Schofield.
And with Godolphin having a record seven winners of the Golden Rose Stakes, it’s their 2019 winner and World Sprint Champion Bivouac who has Beiwacht at $8.50 for Adam Hyeronimus in 2.
In winning the Silver Slipper Stakes, Belwacht greatly contributed to Bivouac’s First Season Sires success, later having leading breeders snapping-up his Lifetime Breeding Rights at auction.
And with last year’s Golden Rose winner Broadsiding being Australian Champion 2YO, it’s his sire Too Darn Hot returning to Kelvinside who has Rivellino paying $41 for Nash Rawiller and Kris Lees.
Celebrations were surely called for as the 2020 Golden Rose winner and Champion 3YO Colt of 2020-21 Ole Kirk being crowned Champion First Season Sire and second on the 2YO Sires tables.
With O ‘Ole winning the MM 2YO Classic and Wyong MM 2YO Classic, and King Kirk and with Legacy Bound his Group 3 winners, it was O ‘Ole’s full-sister who made $650,00 at Sydney Easter.
And with the 2013 Golden Rose winner Zoustar dominating Australian racing and breeding as Australian Champion Sire of 2024-25, he had 98 winners of 335 races from 375 runners.
With progeny earning of $26,318,590 and 15 stakes winners winning 23 stakes races, it was Joliestar who won two Group 1 events and $2,813,500, with his The Actuary filly selling for $2.6m as Sydney Easter Yearlings.
