Last year’s Coolmore Stud Stakes gave the first indication and the Black Caviar Lightning made it official, with Tentyris marking himself as Australia’s emerging sprint superstar at Flemington on Saturday.
The colt under the care of Anthony and Sam Freedman notched consecutive Group 1 successes via a breathtaking effort facing battle-hardened weight-for-age competitors over 1000 metres.
His win arrived at the first outing post his superior display over peers in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Derby Day, with Sam Freedman revealing his father – a veteran once key to the dominant ‘FBI’ outfit, Freedman Brothers Incorporated – had no reservations about the horse’s quality.
“He 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 said.
“(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.”
Tentyris ($2.60 fav), out of Street Boss, powered from the tail of the eight-horse lineup to again consign trainer John McArdle’s filly My Gladiola to runner-up spot, mirroring the Coolmore Stud Stakes finish.
My Gladiola ($7) narrowed the Coolmore gap of 2-1/4 lengths down to three-quarters in the Lightning, matching the margin to third-placed Benedetta ($26).
Damian Lane, responsible for Tentyris’s runner-up effort in last year’s Blue Diamond Stakes, resumed the partnership on Saturday substituting for injured Mark Zahra, labelling him an ‘incredible talent’.
“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,” Lane said.
“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.”
The Black Caviar Lightning triumph formed part of four wins for Lane, encompassing the Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes on Sixties alongside Listed victories for Hard Kick and Sass Appeal.
Tentyris holds $2 favouritism for the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at preferred Flemington track March 7 and Freedman confirmed it’s the top choice next, though dictated by weight allocation. Fans can visit Australian betting sites to find the top odds for his potential tilt.
“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,” he said.
“We’ll have to have a chat about where he goes, but I can assure you it’s a very good problem to have.”
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