Luck of the draw

All the thoroughbred fireworks took place in Australia this past weekend. In the lead up to Everest Day, all the talk was the Randwick track which mid-week was rated a Heavy 8. Miraculously, by race day it had improved to a Soft 7 and was upgraded to a Soft 6 after race one, such is the magnificence of StrathAyr’s technology. By race 7, The Everest itself, a Soft 5 surface was declared.

The question marks surrounding Everest (Gr 1, 1200m) hot favourite Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) were two: How would he handle the wet and did his “mini-Everest” trial on October 5th reveal his readiness for his title defence? Was it true that his connections asked for the Randwick grass to be trimmed because, in their view, it was too long?

Ka Ying Rising had no issue with the track and, yes, he was ready. His defeat was determined last Tuesday, before all the above took place. Moisture, grass length and fitness were all overruled by the luck of the draw. While he drew 11, winner Tempted (Street Boss) drew the ace.

Although beaten, Ka Ying Rising lost no respect. His performance was outstanding. Three and four deep throughout against some of the best sprinters in the world would undo any champion but his wider run, caused by the barrier, was enough to see Tempted outlast him by a neck.

Although beaten, Ka Ying Rising’s tenacity was apparent for the length of the straight. He seemed to tread water from the 200m but when Zac Purton asked for more the 6YO dug deep. A stride past the line the Hong Kong raider was in front. He had the momentum and never gave up. Neither did Joliestar (Snitzel) who ran out of her skin to finish a mere half-length from the winner, the race itself living up to all the hype even if the result was not what most punters were expecting.

Punters had few excuses regarding the trifecta as long as they applied the performance ratings. Ka Ying Rising headed the entrants with 130. Joliestar rated next at 120 and sharing third with 118 were Tempted and Jimmysstar (Per Incanto).

Randwick’s track was the other winner. Comparing the consolation sprint, the Sydney Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) statistics with the main event, the winner Grafterburners (Graff) ran 1:09.48, slower than Tempted by a huge 1.27 seconds. Tempted’s closing 600m in 34.8 was faster by 0.22 seconds.

Tempted to Hong Kong?

A history is developing. A rivalry is in place. What about 2027?

In a mouthwatering possibility, the 2027 Everest may well see the same two combatants back at Randwick next October. Tempted will be five and Ka Ying Rising will be seven. In forming the quinella the last two runnings it is clear that a keen rivalry is cemented in place.

There is no reason it cannot happen. It should happen and the race which has taken over Australian racing could be hyped for a year versus a couple of months. That hype could be ignited further if Tempted’s connections give Royal Ascot a miss and head to Hong Kong instead. A match race with Ka Ying Rising on his home turf would be the cherry on top of the cream cake. Add Joliestar and Jimmysstar and the racing world’s attention would be enormous. It’s a nine hour flight from Sydney to Hong Kong. Make it happen.

Of course there is….

Readers will not be surprised to learn that The Everest (Gr 1, 1200m) champion Tempted has New Zealand roots. Granted, they are distant (some 50 years ago) but nonetheless foundational.

Many current equine families owe their success to Foxbridge (Foxlaw) whose 11 New Zealand Sire Premierships plus 11 Broodmare Sire Premierships is a record yet to be matched. Many thoroughbred breeders are similarly blessed to be able to claim that their foundation mares’ ultimate and ongoing success is due to Foxbridge.

Trelawney Stud (Foxbridge’s home) enjoyed great success via Foxbridge’s Babinda, Bridge Acre, Cuban Fox and Honeywood. The Sartens’ hugely successful Belle family stems from Belle Fox. The Hodgson family’s Chickadee as well as the Heights family developed by the Douglases would not exist without Foxbridge. Haunui Farm and the Chitty family’s Foxona fall into the same category. Included in the list is Volifox (Fobridge) and it is to her that Tempted is connected.

Volifox and her descendants have, historically, been strongly represented at New Zealand sales. The Volifox family was revered for its consistency and ability to produce champions or near champions. Volifox herself won the Group 3 Takapuna Cup (12f). Her older sister Foxmond (Foxbridge) landed the Great Northern Oaks (Gr 1, 12f).

Until the mid 1970s the heavy lifting within the family was done by Ben Lomond (Test Case), a 13-times winner whose best was the Great Northern Derby (Gr 1, 12f) but who Australians remember for his super second to Daryl’s Joy (Stunning) in the 1969 WS Cox Plate (Gr 1, 10f) and a courageous third behind Rain Lover (Latin Lover) in the 1969 Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 2m). Another star was Swell Time (Mellay) who added the 1974 Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 12f) to her 1974 Great Northern Oaks (Gr 1, 12f) crown.

Tempted descends from Listed winner Volitime, a Summertime (Precipitation) sister to Ben Lomond’s dam Jennifer Joy. Another sister, Summer Girl became the grandam of Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) winner Handy Proverb (Twig Moss).

The branch that Tempted represents began in Australia when Volitime’s great grand-daughter Fionnay (Crested Wave) was exported. The unraced Fionnay was one of 15 foals from Aminona (Oakville), who was 20 years of age when she dropped Fionnay. Aminona was a $10,000 purchase from Peter Setchell and his Millfield Stud at the 1975 Trentham Yearling Sale and produced three stakes winners, including Auraria Stakes (Gr 3, 1800m) winner Ascona (Grosvenor). Fionnay’s daughter is the VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) victress Bulla Borghese (Belong To Me), in turn the dam of Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) winner Bound For Earth (Northern Meteor) as well as Tempted’s grandam, Listed placed winner Melpomene (Elusive Quality).

Melpomene produced the full siblings Calliope (Exceed And Excel) and Zethus (Exceed And Excel) and both scored at Group level with Calliope’s feature performance the Magic Night Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m). Calliope has an envious record of foaling $14 million earner Tempted as well as dual Group 2 winner Kallos (Medaglia d’Oro). Tempted’s younger half-brother is Group 2 placed Zambales (Pinatubo) so Calliope is proving to be a wonderful matron.

Stats upheaval

Four Group 1s worth a combined $33 million plus another $5 million in support races at Randwick have turned the current season’s sire stats upside down.

On Friday evening Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice), I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), Too Darn Hot (Dubawi), The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice) and Maurice (Screen Hero) held the top five slots on the Australian premiership.

Within 24 hours Street Boss (Street Cry) jumped from 12th to the top. The Autumn Sun advanced two spots to second while I Am Invincible eased from second to third. From outside the top 200 on Friday, Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy), who provided the quinella in the Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) jumped all the way to fourth. Former leader Snitzel dropped to fifth.

Within the current top ten Zoustar (Northern Meteor) moved up two spots to sixth but Maurice dropped two spots to seventh. So did So You Think (High Chaparral) who is now eighth. Per Incanto (Street Cry) is ninth (from 11th) and Too Darn Hot, third on Friday, now sits tenth. Harry Angel (Dark Angel) is 11th (from 14th) and courtesy of Ka Ying Rising’s Everest second, Shamexpress (O’Reilly) has passed $3 million to claim 12th.

Stable knew

Although wildly overshadowed by the extraordinary racing in Sydney and Melbourne, Ellerslie staged a top class rendition of the Soliloquy Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m), a race which often provides a guide to next month’s New Zealand One Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m).

How good is Asturia (Almanzor)? The answer was probably revealed three weeks ago at Hastings when the filly was set for the Hawkes Bay Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m) and finished within three-quarters of a length of possible star Old Fashioned (Proisir), finishing strongly along the inner, that race just her second start.

Te Akau Racing has played the patient game with their $135,000 purchase from Dave Duley’s Landsdowne Park draft at the 2025 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale. The attractive filly was given four trials as an autumn 2YO and early spring 3YO but was held over until Ellerslie’s September 5th meeting for her race debut.

She caught the attention of the stewards as she was badly hampered leaving the stalls which saw her last into the straight. In a clever ride, Michael McNab waited for the field to fan then dove along the rail to defeat several far more experienced rivals. One of the onlookers was Henry Plumptre of Cambridge Stud who had the biggest grin on his face at the result. This was a performance of some note.

The very fact that the stable elected to take on the colts and geldings at Hastings says much and the filly ran a super race, tracking the winner to the 600m. While Old fashioned moved out for a run Asturia again stuck to the fence. There was not a lot of room but she looked a big chance inside the 200m yet had to bow to the stronger finish by Old Fashioned. To her credit, she was taking ground off the winner very late.

On to Saturday and the Soliloquy where Asturia raised the bar again. There was some delay as favourite Hawea (Hellbent) gave barrier staff all sorts of problems and refused to take her place. With loads of perseverance Hawea finally loaded but the clearly talented filly’s behaviour took its toll. She finished last. Connections have some work to do.

Meanwhile, Asturia sat in the back half of the field and for once not against the fence. From the 600m she went forward and rounding into the straight was widest yet travelling well. McNab allowed her to balance then drove her forward again. Out in the middle of the track she smoothly passed all but one to share the lead at the 100m then came away to win with a lot in hand for win two, her maiden stakes success and career earnings of $176,125, putting her bank balance into the black.

“It was great to see her quicken like that, a pretty impressive 1000 Guineas trial I would think,” said Te Akau co-trainer Sam Bergerson. “We were quietly confident as she went a super race at Hastings without a lot of luck.”

The writer is reminded of a 2025 Karaka Yearling Sale conversation with Rick Williams of The Oaks Stud who sold an Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) filly for $400,000 at that sale, one of two fillies to reach or exceed that figure. Williams claimed that the industry had underrated Almanzor and that the best was yet to come. Judging from the 2025-26 season and the possibilities of the current season, he may well be correct as the number of Almanzor’s individual stakes winners climbs, currently standing at 34.

Almanzor clearly crosses successfully with this family as Asturia ranks as a three-quarter sister to the recent dual Listed winner Rise At Dawn (Almanzor) whose half-sister is Asturia’s dam. A further half-sister produced Tellum (Ocean Park), upset winner of Ellerslie’s Eight Carat Classic (Gr 2, 1600m) last December. All three are daughters of Kay’s Awake (Towkay) , a four-times Group 1 placed winner of Ellerslie’s Newmarket Handicap (Listed, 1200m).

Despite the presence of out-and-out sprinter Kay’s Awake, the Almanzor-Zabeel (Sir Tristram) cross suggests that 1600m will be no problem and that 2000m, indeed the Oaks distance of 2400m, may also be well within her scope. At this point, what beats her in the One Thousand Guineas will win.