Boom colt Tentyris is poised to significantly boost his massive value as a highly sought-after future stallion by claiming a second Group 1 victory in Saturday’s (14 February) Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington in Melbourne, Australia.

The three-year-old resumes after winning the Listed Gothic Stakes (1200m) on 18 October at Caulfield and then surging to victory in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on 1 November.

A son of highly-rated sire Street Boss, Tentyris has raced at Flemington three times for two wins and a third, but is yet to win from his two first-up attempts.

Although it’s only a field of eight Tentyris faces stern opposition from some seasoned sprinters headed by 1000m specialist Baraqiel and the 2022 The Everest (1200m) winner Giga Kick, whose last race and victory was in the G1 VRC Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on 8 November.

Giga Kick, who shares top weight of 129lb with Baraqiel, has three wins and three thirds from his seven first-up attempts and has done everything right as he aims for his fourth Group 1 win under trainer Clayton Douglas.

“He’s in good order,” Douglas said. “He hasn’t had a lot of time off since (last campaign), but he’s had the one barrier trial going into the Lightning and is coming up well.”

Sam Freedman, who trains in partnership with his father, Anthony, said they were happy with Tentyris’ two jump-outs and the gallop he had in between races at Caulfield last Saturday.

“It was nice work from him, he didn’t have his blinkers on, which he obviously races in those, he just settled in behind (galloping mate) and relaxed really well,” Freedman said.

“Damian (Lane) switched him on from the 350m … and he was excellent, he seemed to enjoy it out there.

“He’s a colt that knows he’s a colt, so when you get to those big (race) days – there’s people everywhere, you’d rather have him simmering away, ready to go.”

Baraqiel’s co-trainer Troy Corstens said the seven-year-old had proved his ability by winning the G1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley in September, but has two places in lower grade races down the Flemington straight from three attempts.

 “He has to take on the best sprinters now as a Group 1 winner, and I think he is good enough to match them on his day,” Corstens said.

“I think horses get better down the straight as they mature.”

Three-year-olds have a good record in the Lightning Stakes, and five of Saturday’s field, including the John McArdle-trained filly My Gladiola, are in that age group.

My Gladiola finished second in front of the third-placed Tentyris last spring before the colt scored a two-and-a-quarter length victory from the grey filly in the Coolmore Stud Stakes, but McArdle said that with some luck, the margin could have been closer.

“He (Tentyris) is a very good horse and he’s going to be bloody hard to beat,” McArdle said.
“In the Coolmore from barrier one, we had to go get back behind him and we couldn’t match his turn of foot.

“Hopefully we get a kinder gate and she’s going to be in front of him and give him something to chase.”

My Gladiola, who is on the light weight here, narrowly defeated Giga Kick in a recent 800m trial. The filly will jump from the outside barrier, while Tentyris is alongside her in gate seven.

While Beiwacht and Marhoona are also given chances, Ciaron Maher warns not to dismiss the chances of his three-year-old filly Military Tycoon and veteran mare Benedetta.

The Lightning Stakes is carded as S1-1 and will be run at 1.10pm (Hong Kong time) on Saturday, 14 February.