Tempted lays ominous autumn carnival marker

Bella Nipotina won almost $19 million and an Everest during her illustrious career but connections of glamour three-year-old Tempted are daring to believe she might be their best filly yet.

“She is pretty special,” trainer Ciaron Maher’s assistant, Johann Gerard-Dubord said.

“I would quote Craig Williams when he jumped off her after the Everest. He said, ‘I love Bella (Nipotina), but she might be even better’. That’s how good she could be.”

It was hard to argue after the filly trounced her rivals on resumption in Saturday’s Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Randwick, stalking the speed and cruising to the front in an arrogant display.

Such was her dominance, Chad Schofield eased the $1.60 favourite down on the line to score by 1-1/4 lengths over Napoleonic ($6.50) with Wodeton ($5) closing from the back for third, another 1-3/4 lengths in arrears.

While yet to win a Group 1 race, Tempted finished runner-up to champion sprinter Ka Ying Rising in The Everest (1200m) last spring and Gerard-Dubord said she had returned to work a stronger horse.

“When you run second in the Everest as a spring three-year-old, and running through the line, you know you’ve got a pretty special horse,” he said.

“She came back looking magnificent. Last prep, it took her a couple of runs to clean up in the coat but this time, from day one when she came back, she couldn’t look any better.

“Everything has been very smooth. Her target is the Surround (Stakes) in three weeks, which is why we elected to run this week. She would have been better placed against the fillies next week, but the three-week gap works out better.”

Plans for Tempted remain open following the Surround Stakes (1400m) but the TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) is among the main options being considered.

“All options are open. She is just so talented, and she relaxes so well, distance won’t be an issue,” Gerard-Dubord said.

Having his first race ride on Tempted, Chad Schofield said he was mindful the small field could have made the race a tactical battle and he was determined to negate that from the outset.

“My two dangers were drawn to my inside, and I knew they were not going to let me in easily. So, I pinged her out (of the barriers), got her across and I was able to just control the race,” Schofield said.

“That was a lot of fun. She’s an aeroplane, really.”

Tempted’s victory has set up a mouth-watering clash with another top filly, Apocalyptic, in the Surround Stakes.

The Michael Freedman-trained three-year-old is due to launch her campaign in the Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Randwick next week with the pair to clash for the first time in the Group 1 a fortnight later.