Tentyris Roars Home Late to Win Lightning Stakes

Tentyris (AUS) stamped himself as the most exciting sprinter in Australia and took a large step towards living up to Anthony Freedman's huge assessment of him with a breathtaking win in the Feb. 14 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (G1) at Flemington Racecourse. After the colt stormed to victory in last November's Coolmore Stud Stakes (G1), Freedman told his son and co-trainer Sam he could be the best horse he ever comes across, despite the younger trainer's many future years in this business, and Tentyris being only a spring 3-year-old at the time. It certainly looked hard to argue that point when Godolphin's homebred son of the remarkable Street Boss powered to his third straight victory—and his fourth from his last five starts—in the Lightning. While his 2 1/4-length Coolmore win was dominant, Saturday's triumph in his first attempt at open company in the weight-for-age feature outstripped it, and put racing fans on watch for an explosive autumn to come from the chestnut. One of four winners on the day, all at stakes level, for Damian Lane, Tentyris was settled in a clear last place of the eight, and was 10 lengths off the lead on settling. After a heady pace was set, first by Beiwacht (AUS) and then by Giga Kick (AUS), the well-backed AU$2.60 favorite was 8 lengths off the front-runners at the 300 meters, and 3 lengths behind—and still last—inside the 200 meters. It seemed he couldn't possibly have the finish to haul in the leaders, but at the 150 meters, as the brave filly My Gladiola (AUS) was being hailed the winner, Tentyris simply exploded in phenomenal style to power to the lead in a few strides, going on to score by three-quarters of a length. My Gladiola had to settle for second behind the colt, as she had in the Coolmore. Tough mare Benedetta (AUS) flew home for third, as second elect Giga Kick weakened into fifth. And while the colt's backers will have been anxious a furlong from home, the calm final prerace words from Sam Freedman to his jockey—"trust the horse"—proved prescient in the most emphatic style. "Dad and I spoke in the last couple of days, about how in a small field, they can be tactical and you can get sucked into riding a horse out of his comfort zone," Freedman told Racing.com. "His turn of foot, when you ask him, is there as soon as you need it. Our instructions for Damian were, 'Just trust that when you need him, he's there—let them all go.' "They always take off a little bit early in these races. You've only got to be in front at the end. That's all that matters." As for how special Tentyris might be, Freedman said he'd heard telling words after the Coolmore from his father. "Anthony has been in the game for so long. He actually said to me at the end of the spring campaign, 'This might be the best horse you ever train,'" Sam said. Sam Freedman had no hesitation saying Tentyris had put himself at the forefront of the horses the stable had trained for the Godolphin, as he forecast a likely start for the colt in the VRC Newmarket Handicap (G1) March 7. "Godolphin have been huge supporters of ours for such a long time and we've had some really good horses for them over the years, but this will be top of the list," he said. Tentyris is by a chestnut out of a chestnut, being by Street Boss, who is enjoying a breakout campaign—despite this being his 14th season with runners in Australia. The 21-year-old entered Saturday sitting eighth on the Australian general sires' table—up from an 18th place finish last term and a career best of 10th in 2022-23.