Racing
Top fillies on Surround Stakes collision course
Everest runner-up Tempted has returned to work bigger and stronger as connections eye an early Group 1 target.
Star three-year-old fillies Tempted and Apocalyptic are unlikely to clash until the Surround Stakes with the former expected to take on the colts and geldings first-up.
Runner-up to Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising in The Everest (1200m), Tempted will make her first public appearance of the year in a 1000m Group Trial at Randwick on Tuesday, while Apocalyptic will step out over 900m at the same session.
The pair stamped themselves among the elite fillies of their generation in the spring but have never met.
Michael Freedman confirmed Apocalyptic was set to resume in the Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 14 ahead of the Surround (1400m) two weeks' later, while trainer Ciaron Maher's assistant Jo Gerard-Dubord reported Tempted would kick off a week earlier in the Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m).
"She's had a jump-out at Bong Bong, so we are just repeating what we did last prep. A jump-out at home, one trial and then to the races," Gerard-Dubord said.
"She will trial over 1000 metres on Tuesday and then she's likely to start in the Eskimo Prince.
"There's the Light Fingers after that, but at this stage the plan is to go to the Surround (Stakes) second-up. Three weeks in between runs probably works better."
Gerard-Dubord said Tempted had always been an athletic filly but had made further development since the spring.
"She is about fifteen kilos heavier than at the same stage last prep, so she has grown a bit," he said.
"I think she has come back very well."
While the Maher stable is unlikely to have a runner in the two-year-old races at Rosehill next weekend, Gerard-Dubord says several youngsters remain on target for the rich Inglis Millennium (1100m) seven days later, including Saturday's Randwick placegetter Ciaron's Star, along with Long Throw and Calamari Ring.
Magic Millions winner Unit Five arrived in Sydney from Queensland on Friday and is due to head to Victoria next week to be prepared for the Blue Diamond Stakes.
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