Tempted stamps her class in G2 Percy Sykes Stakes at Randwick.

Godolphin Australia head trainer James Cummings was left wondering what could have been after classy filly Tempted overcame difficulties to win the G2 Percy Sykes Stakes over 1,200m at Royal Randwick on Saturday, 12 April.

Disappointed for a run when seventh in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield in February, the two-year-old filly returned to Sydney to score a strong win in the G2 Reisling Stakes at Randwick on 8 March before hitting another road block when third in the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes there weeks ago.

Although drawn in the outside barrier on Saturday, champion jockey James McDonald had no hesitation revving up Tempted and racing three-wide in sixth position to the home turn.

Tempted still showed a devastating turn of foot to sprint past the leaders to beat Savvy Hallie and Within The Law by nearly two lengths in race-record time of 1 minute 9.22 seconds.
Cummings has always had a high opinion of Tempted who, with better luck, could easily have proved the best juvenile of her year.

“She's an outstanding two-year-old filly, she got another opportunity to prove it at the Championships here this afternoon, so I was most pleased that she got the chance to show that,” the trainer said.
“She had a lot more clear air today than she faced three weeks ago, but the Golden Slipper form is great form.

“She proved it (today) despite the wide run, which we did feel on paper was inevitable.
“But we took our medicine as far covering ground and facing the breeze goes.

“It gave Tempted the opportunity to show her class and she did just that.”
Cummings praised his staff for helping manage Tempted to win her third race, with two placings, from six starts over a long first campaign.
“She’s another good example of what my stable has been able to do,” he said.

“I’m very proud of our team, the stud farms, all the guys behind Tempted who have been able to produce a horse that's strong enough and versatile enough to be maintaining this sort of gallop right the way through the preparation.”

McDonald, who returned to Australia from riding Romantic Warrior in Dubai this week, showed enormous confidence in Tempted after partnering the chestnut daughter of Street Boss (US) in her Reisling Stakes victory.

“She's a good filly, ridden like the best one and she was too good,” he said.
“She always felt like the winner, she paraded really well today with the earmuffs on.

“A real credit to James and his team; he kept her up and he said she would win today.”