Each week, Daniel O’Sullivan provides an insightful analysis of the top performers from The Rating Bureau’s Weight-for-Age (WFA) Performance Ratings across various categories. This week, the spotlight is on Tempted, who announced herself as one of Australia’s top sprinters with a dominant 104 rating win in the G2 Run To The Rose.
The race unfolded with Raging Force setting a strong tempo through the early and middle stages. Tempted’s ability to sprint quickly off that pace between the 400m and 100m mark showcased her serious talent. Competitors ahead of her lacked the class to sustain their speed, while those behind couldn’t match Tempted’s turn of foot.
Comparing the Best: Tempted’s Performance in Context
To put Tempted’s performance into perspective, only Joliestar’s 105 in the Newmarket has rated higher in 2025. Other notable performances include Briasa’s 103.8 in the G1 TJ Smith and Private Harry’s 102.3 in the G1 Galaxy.
Meanwhile, Autumn Boy also made headlines with an outstanding return, improving on his 97.4 peak win to achieve a 100.4 rating, finishing second to his stablemate Sixties in the G3 Ming Dynasty over 1400m. Importantly, he gave 3.5kg to the winner, which gives him the superior weight-adjusted rating. His strong finish suggests he’ll be even better over further distances, positioning him as a favorite for the Caulfield Guineas in four weeks.
Rising Stars and Seasoned Performers
Autumn Glow added to her growing reputation as a future Group 1 star with a 104 rating win in the G2 Theo Marks Stakes. Her fast overall time and strong closing sectionals indicate she’s primed for the step up to 1600m in the G1 Epsom Handicap in three weeks. With her potential still untapped, her future looks promising.
Manaal, after a lackluster autumn, rebounded strongly this spring, winning the G2 Sheraco Stakes with a 98.5 rating. This effort matches her career peak from her G1 Sires’ Produce win as a two-year-old.
Mr Brightside and the Challenge of Slow-Tempo Races
It’s well documented that Mr Brightside controlled the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes at a near barrier-trial tempo, finishing with a blistering last 600m to claim his 10th Group 1. Such races, run at extreme slow tempos, are challenging to assess. Once fields of this quality are asked to dash home, they operate at the physical limits of what horses can produce over 600m, regardless of the early pace.
Mr Brightside ran +11.1L above standard for his final 600m, returning a 102 WFA Performance Rating, aligning with his best in the autumn, which was a 101.9 figure.
Chasing Mr Brightside were Aeliana, Via Sistina, and Antino, all performing near their known peaks. Despite the race’s slow tempo, Antino’s +11.9 sprint was particularly noteworthy.
Juja Kibo and Revelare: Promising Prospects
Juja Kibo showed significant improvement, positioned just 1.3 lengths off the lead at the 800m compared to 11.4 lengths back in his previous start. This better positioning enabled him to produce a dominant win, achieving a new peak rating of 97.
Revelare secured his Melbourne Cup spot with a victory in the G3 Archer Stakes at Flemington, lifting his peak from 95 to 96.2. As an Australian-bred, owned, and trained horse, Revelare embodies the type of competitor locals hope to see perform well in the Cup. Although his current ratings are below the usual competitive mark, his potential remains promising.
Revelare’s last five starts have lacked early pace, turning into 600-800m sprints, which are not ideal conditions for stayers to show their full potential.
His consistent winning record, with seven victories from his last eight starts, suggests he has more to offer. The key will be seeing him in a genuinely run race at 2400m+, which will provide a clearer guide to his Cup credentials.
Understanding WFA Performance Ratings
WFA Performance Ratings (WPRs) are a measure of each horse’s performance, normalized to weight-for-age, allowing for direct comparison regardless of age, sex, distance, or time of year. These ratings consider key indicators such as race times, sectional times, margin spread, previous ratings, and weights carried. However, subjective factors like bad luck in running or race pace are not included.
The point scale per length varies slightly with distance, but as a general guide, two points are equal to one length.
As the racing season progresses, these ratings will continue to provide valuable insights into the performances and potential of Australia’s top equine athletes.
