Flemington witnessed a truly electrifying performance as Tentyris surged to victory in the G1 VRC Lightning Stakes! Could this three-year-old colt have just reached a whole new level of dominance? If his breathtaking win at Flemington is any indication, the coming months are set to be an absolute thrill for racing fans.
This triumph in the prestigious $1 million G1 VRC Lightning Stakes, a swift 1000m dash down the straight, adds another significant feather to Tentyris's cap, following his earlier victory in the G1 VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes. This impressive two-year-old season mirrors the early success of exciting young sire Home Affairs, who has already sired seven first-crop stakes performers. Trained by the renowned Anthony and Sam Freedman, this son of Street Boss is undeniably on a trajectory towards even greater achievements.
But here's where the race got truly interesting... As the starting gates sprang open, fellow Godolphin contender Beiwacht, ridden by Ben Melham, received a slight jostle but quickly took the lead. Meanwhile, jockey Damian Lane and Tentyris adopted a patient strategy, settling at the very back of the pack. With Beiwacht dictating the pace upfront, he was shadowed by the Golden Slipper-winning filly Marhoona and the recent G1 Champions Sprint victor Giga Kick. Lane, however, was content to let the race unfold from the rear.
As Giga Kick began to close in on Beiwacht with 300 meters remaining, taking the lead, the I Am Invincible filly My Gladiola, who had placed in the Coolmore Stud Stakes, launched a powerful challenge from the back, appearing to be a serious contender. And this is the part most people miss... In what felt like the blink of an eye, My Gladiola was overtaken. Damian Lane had unleashed Tentyris's signature blistering final sprint, and the colt simply surged past the grey filly, seemingly dwarfing her as he thundered towards the finish line to secure his second consecutive G1 victory.
[Image: Tentyris crossing the finish line in first place, with a celebratory caption and broadcast details]
While Tentyris claimed the spotlight, the G1-winning Hellbent mare Benedetta showed a strong closing effort to finish a pleasing third. Her performance suggests she's well on track for a step up in distance in upcoming races.
With an impressive record of five wins and two placings from just eight starts, the future Darley stallion Tentyris has already amassed a remarkable $2,583,245 in earnings for his connections.
"He (Anthony) has been in the game for so long and he said to me at the end of the spring campaign, this might be the best horse you ever train," Sam Freedman shared. "(I said) I thought you might be suggesting you trained one better back in the 1990s and 2000s – there was a bit of cheek there, they had Mahogany and Schillaci – but he's building his own record that will hopefully be right up there with some of the best."
Jockey Damian Lane commented on the race strategy: "We just only had the one play with him with how he steps out of the barriers, it was just a risk whether the 1000 was going to be too short (but) it certainly wasn't. Mid-race I had to ask him to pick up the bridle and when he did, he really joined in well and as had become his trademark, that last bit of his race was outstanding."
Now the favorite for the G1 VRC Newmarket Handicap (1200m) on March 7, Tentyris's participation hinges on the weight he is allocated. "I would love to come to the Newmarket if he was not heavily penalised for the victory. It's not easy for a three-year-old to carry a big weight like that," Freedman noted. "We'll have to have a chat about where he goes, but I can assure you it's a very good problem to have."
A homebred for Godolphin, Tentyris is the sole stakes winner from two winners out of Deity. Deity is a metropolitan-winning mare by Exceed And Excel and is a half-sister to the stakes-winner Maternal, both out of the four-time G1 winner Divine Madonna. Interestingly, Divine Madonna is also a half-sister to the dam of the G3-winning, G1-placed Angel Of Mercy, who in turn is the dam of G1 winners Autumn Angel and this season's G1 AJ Moir Stakes winner Baraqiel, who finished fourth in Saturday's race.
Deity's current two-year-old is a filly named Parcae, also in the Freedman stable. Unfortunately, the mare had a slipped foal to Paulele the following season but then foaled a filly by Champion Anamoe in mid-September and has since been covered by Too Darn Hot (GB).
Tentyris is one of 88 stakes winners for Darley's sire Street Boss. His exciting G2-winning filly Tempted also resumed impressively last Saturday with a win in the G3 Eskimo Prince Stakes and is slated to head to the G1 Surround Stakes for her next start.
Race Results:
- Tentyris (3c Street Boss x Deity)
- My Gladiola (3f I Am Invincible x Villa Verde) - Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale $550,000
- Benedetta (6m Hellbent x Whatalovelyday) - Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale $75,000
- Baraqiel (7g Snitzel x Angel Of Mercy)
- Giga Kick (6g Scissor Kick x Rekindled Applause)
- Marhoona (3f Snitzel x Salma)
- Military Tycoon (3f Written Tycoon x Military Reign)
- Beiwacht (3c Bivouac x Metastasio)
What do you think? Is Tentyris now the horse to beat in any major sprint race? Or is there another three-year-old who has caught your eye this season? Share your thoughts in the comments below – we'd love to hear your take!
