Chad Schofield knew he needed to be bold, in his first Everest ride, to beat the world’s best.
asserted
he → know → best
And in the end, he needed Tempted to be brave.
asserted
Tempted → need → end
Defying a drift in betting to $6.50 as the Randwick track dried out to a soft 5, having started the day as a 7, Tempted and Schofield were courage personified as the four-year-old mare toppled defending champion Ka Ying Rising in the $20 million showpiece.
asserted
mare → defy → showpiece
The Ciaron Maher-trained, Godolphin-owned mare, second to Ka Ying Rising last year, had gate one again – but this year carried 5.5kilograms more against the world’s highest-rated horse.
asserted
mare → train → horse
Schofield has ridden Tempted ever since that loss and the combination has remained unbeaten with finishing bursts from back in the field.
asserted
combination → ride → field
On Saturday, with Ka Ying Rising caught three wide midfield from gate 11 after taking a sit, Tempted pushed forward to settle behind leader Savvy Hallie.
asserted
Tempted → catch → Hallie
Schofield went early, hitting the lead 300m out as Ka Ying Rising, a $1.35 favourite, came wide and stormed home to finish a half-neck away.
asserted
Rising → go → lead
It ended the Hong Kong superstar’s winning streak at 21 and provided a career highlight for Schofield.
asserted
It → end → Schofield
“I normally just ride her quietly because I know she’s going to peel out at the top of the straight and run straight past them,” Schofield said.
asserted
Schofield → ride → them
“Today, with Ka Ying Rising in the race, we needed to be bold, and we were.
asserted
we → need → race
It’s the first time she’s jumped and I’ve given her a squeeze, and like always she was just there for me.
asserted
she → ’ → me
“I needed her to show gate speed, she did, she relaxed then she grabbed the bit around the turn and quickened past two tiring roughies.
asserted
she → need → roughies
In her races in the past, she always hits the front and clocks off, so when I hit the front so early, such a long way out, it was very foreign to her.
asserted
it → hit → her
I needed her to be brave and she was.
asserted
she → need → ?
Godolphin Australia managing director Andy Makiv praised the ride and said the win was “exhilarating”.
asserted
win → praise → ride
“She got a great ride,” Makiv said.
asserted
Makiv → get → ride
“She hit the front a long way from home and she’s used to hunting something down.
asserted
she → hit → something
She got left there a long way, so brave, exhilarating.
asserted
She → leave → ?
It’s a long straight.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
People around me were saying, she’s home, she’s home, and I was saying, hold, hold.
asserted
I → say → me
“Chad and her get along so well and he’s been saying that she’s jumping well and she’d be closer today, so delighted for him.
asserted
she → get → him
They’ve got a good little partnership going.
asserted
partnership → get → ?
It’s a great day for Godolphin and our shuttle stallion business.”
asserted
It → ’ → Godolphin
It was a second Everest win for Maher, who claimed the race with Bella Nipotina in 2024.
asserted
who → claim → 2024
“I always had an air of confidence she would run her best race today,” Maher said.
asserted
Maher → have → race
“You could see the way she was building through it.
uncertain
she → see → it
Chad knew what he had under him and I felt barrier one was ideal.
asserted
barrier → know → him
She had to be at her absolute best and she was.
asserted
she → have → best
”
Ka Ying Rising’s trainer, David Hayes, said the gates made the difference.
asserted
gates → say → difference
“We didn’t expect him to be there, but it was the barrier
asserted
it → expect → ?
,” Hayes said.
asserted
Hayes → say → ?
“Sometimes 11 can be a bonus, but he got caught wide.
asserted
he → catch → ?
He settled a bit further back than we thought he would, and if we have to take a positive out of it, he was in front one stride after the post.
asserted
he → settle → post
“The first and third horse cut the corner and really had dream runs, and we had a horror, being six-wide, no cover.
asserted
we → cut → horror
But he was brave, and I love the way he finished, but I hate the result.”
asserted
I → love → result
Queensland trainer Kelly Schweida was open to stepping Grafterburners up to the Everest next year after the decision to dodge the race on Saturday paid off with a stylish win in the $2 million consolation, the Sydney Stakes (1200m).
asserted
decision → step → consolation
Nash Rawiller took the four-year-old Graff entire came up the inside of leader Overpass late en route to a length and a half victory over favourite Marhoona.
asserted
Rawiller → take → Marhoona
“We paid $70,000 for him at Inglis, so it keeps the dream alive,” Schweida said.
asserted
Schweida → pay → dream
“He just showed today what he’s capable of doing.
asserted
he → show → what
He left the door ajar to the Everest next year with Grafterburners, but he was pleased with how the plan played out this year.
asserted
plan → leave → Grafterburners
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
