Sharp Mare Steps Back to 1000m

While 1000m is far from Tempted's proven pet trip, the daughter of Street Boss has plenty of pedigree at the sprint distances. 

The Ciaron Maher-trained four-year-old will line up in the $1 million Group 2 Concorde Stakes at Randwick this weekend, in just her second career start over the 1000m journey.

Her only previous run at the trip produced a debut win in a two-year-old fillies' maiden at Warwick Farm, while her only other outing shy of 1200m came when finishing a narrow second to The Playwright in the Group 3 Widden Stakes. 

Eight of her 10 subsequent starts have been over 1200m – the trip widely regarded as her sweet spot.

Two lead-up trials over 900m and 822m have Maher convinced his mare is primed to fire fresh.

"She's a sharp filly, very sharp," Maher said. "It certainly wouldn't surprise me (if she won), without knowing what's there but, knowing her, she's pretty sharp."

Quality Field Assembles at Randwick

Tempted headlines a strong list of 20 entries for the Concorde Stakes. Defending champion Headwall looms as a genuine danger, alongside Group-class rivals Beadman, Marhoona and Mazu, making the Randwick sprint one of the highlights of the early Sydney spring carnival.

The Everest Redemption Mission

The Concorde Stakes is the opening chapter of a spring campaign built around The Everest, the $20 million sprint run over 1200m at Randwick on October 18. 

Tempted enters the campaign with unfinished business, having finished runner-up to Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising in last year's edition of the world's richest turf race.

Since that Everest heartbreak, Tempted has been unbeaten, stringing together:

- Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m)

- Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m)

- Group 3 Arrowfield Stakes (1200m)

Maher is now keen to see her lock in Godolphin's No.1 Everest slot ahead of the blueblood operation's other contenders.

"I suppose there's a little bit to take place, we haven't even run the Concorde yet, so there's a bit to play out in the three-year-olds as some of them could step out," Maher said.

"But she's very good. I'm rapt with her. Her prep so far has gone smoothly and if she lines up in the sort of form she's in, I'm sure she'll run very well."

Roadmap to The Everest

Following Saturday's resuming assignment, Tempted is likely to line up in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on October 3 before her tilt at Everest glory a fortnight later. 

It shapes as a textbook spring campaign for one of Australia's most exciting sprinting mares – and punters will be watching closely from the opening 1000m dash.