Racing
Tempted flying ahead of Arrowfield target
A return to her favourite sprint trip has Tempted on song for a Randwick hat-trick.
Connections of Tempted have issued an ominous warning to her Randwick rivals with assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord declaring her "the best she has been all preparation".
The star filly will step out in Saturday's $1 million Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m) fresh from claiming her maiden Group 1 in the Surround Stakes (1400m) last start.
While she had to dig deep for that win, she returns to her pet journey at Randwick and Gerard-Dubord, the captain of head trainer Ciaron Maher's Sydney operation, has been blown away by how much the three-year-old has thrived.
"The plan this preparation was to win a Group One, and the Surround was our target," Gerard-Dubord said.
"She did that, and then we had two options, the T J (Smith Stakes) or the Arrowfield.
"The Godolphin team was keen to split their horses up (Tentyris and Tempted) and the Arrowfield is a nice target back against three-year-olds.
"She has beaten most of them in the past and back to 1200 fresh, it's the best she has been all preparation."
The winner of six of her 11 starts, Tempted is unbeaten in two runs this campaign and as a $1.70 favourite, the Arrowfield looks her race to lose.
Gerard-Dubord's only reservation is an awkward draw in barrier eight of 10, but he is banking on Tempted's class and the nous of jockey Chad Schofield to carry her through.
"She has drawn a touch tricky so Chad will have to work it out early and find a spot, but she has such a good turn of foot and she's such a good filly, hopefully she is just too good for them," he said.
The Arrowfield has proven to be a strong form reference in recent seasons having been won by the likes of subsequent Everest hero Classique Legend (2019), Group 1 performer Wild Ruler (2021) and top racemare Joliestar two years ago.
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