Too Darn Hot retired

Multiple Group 1 winner Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) has been retired after sustaining a career-ending injury when winning last week's G1 Qatar Sussex S. at Goodwood.

The 3-year-old John Gosden-trained colt underwent surgery on his right-hind cannon to repair a hairline fracture at Newmarket Equine Hospital and while he came through the operation without any issues, he will be retired to stand at Dalham Hall Stud under the Darley banner in 2020.

“The (owners) Lloyd Webbers and I are very sad we won’t see this champion on the racecourse again. He has given us all so much excitement winning three Group 1 races over the last 12 months, culminating in his brilliant win last week in the G1 Qatar Sussex S.” Bloodstock Manager Simon Marsh said.

As well as winning the G1 Dewhurst S. last year, Too Darn Hot also won the G1 Prix Jean Prat S. before his final success at Goodwood in the Sussex.

27 internationals among 187 Cox Plate entries

Aidan O'Brien has nominated 11 horses for the G1 Cox Plate including G1 Investec Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), while his son Joseph has entered four horses for the weight-for-age feature.

Aidan O'Brien won the race in 2014 with Adelaide (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and could take a strong hand into this year's 99th edition of the race.

As well as Anthony Van Dyck, he also has three other of Galileo's Group 1 winning progeny nominated in Circus Maximus (Ire) as well as Japan (GB) and Hermosa (Ire).

“To win a Cox Plate, you need a horse with plenty of tactical speed that gets a mile and a quarter well,” O’Brien said.

“We have entered 11 horses that we think might suit the race, but of course some of them don’t always progress as well as we were hoping. But Anthony Van Dyck and Circus Maximus are two very hardy colts with good tactical speed, and both should handle nice ground."

“It’s probably too early at this stage to say who our number one seed is, we usually nominate a number of horses and then we will see how they progress from now.”

Joseph O'Brien, who beat his father to winning a Melbourne Cup thanks to Rekindling (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}), has four horses in the entries with Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Master Of Reality (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Buckhurst (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}).

There are 187 horses nominated for the race, 27 of them trained overseas, while there are 48 3-year-olds, highlighted by Group 1 winners Prince Fawaz (Fastnet Rock) and Castelvecchio {Dundeel {NZ}).

G1 Australian Guineas winner Mystic Journey (Needs Further) is the current favourite for the race.

Tassort out of spring

Promising colt Tassort (Brazen Beau) will miss the spring after undergoing epiglottic entrapment surgery.

The 3-year-old, an impressive winner on debut at Randwick last November was an early favourite for the G1 Golden Slipper but was sent to the paddock after suffering a setback after finishing second in the Group 2 Silver Slipper S, at Rosehill in February.

Godolphin confirmed on Tuesday that he underwent a procedure recently and while he is expected to make a full recovery, he won't be seen until the autumn.

Allan makes Queensland move

Veteran New Zealand rider and Melbourne Cup winner Tony Allan will relocate to Queensland this week.

Allan, who rode Empire Rose (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) to win the 1988 Melbourne Cup, will take up a riding contract with Paddy Busuttin, who is basing himself at Deagon.

“Paddy made me an offer and it’s a fantastic opportunity for me,” Allan said. “I rode winners for Paddy years ago and it’ll be good to ride for him again."

“I go over on Thursday and already have a ride for Saturday at the Gold Coast meeting for another of my old New Zealand contacts, Graeme Cameron, who I had a lot of success with when he was training in Te Aroha."

“While I was over there on holiday I caught up with other old contacts, (trainers) Brian Smith and Sheila Laxon. I’m really looking forward to riding there. Deagon is close to Eagle Farm and I’ll be able to go in there to ride trackwork when I want.”

Mystic Journey trials up well

Group 1 winner Mystic Journey (Needs Further) tuned up for her return to racing by winning another trial at her home track of Devonport on Tuesday.

The G1 Australian Guineas and All-Star Mile winner settled third in the small field over 800m with Chris Graham in the saddle, before closing off over the top of her rivals to win narrowly.

She edged out four-time stakes winner I'm Wesley (I Am Invincible) with Listed winners Gee Gee Double Dee (Wordsmith) and Pateena Arena (Needs Further) close-up in third and fourth respectively.

Mystic Journey will resume in the G2 PB Lawrence S. at Caulfield on August 16, with the G1 Cox Plate, a race which she is the current favourite for, her ultimate spring aim.

Jump in Guineas nominations

A boost in prize money has seen nominations for the G1 Thousand Guineas jump to a record 285 in 2019.

The Thousand Guineas, to be staged at Caulfield on October 12, is worth $1 million this year up from $500,000 last year and the change has created a jump in interest with numbers of entries up from 262 in 2018.

There has also been a huge jump in nominations for the G1 Caulfield Guineas, which is worth $2 million in 2019, from 267 last year to 324 this year.

Three-year-olds who win either Guineas this year are also eligible for a $1 million bonus should they then go on and win the G1 Cox Plate. There is also a bonus on offer for any runner in the Guineas who then goes on to win the G3 Carbine Club S. at Flemington on November 2.

The only Group 1 2-year-old winner from last season missing from Caulfield Guineas nominations is Microphone (Exceed And Excel), with Kiamichi (Sidestep) and Lyre (Lonhro) also nominated for the Thousand Guineas.

Baker pays tribute to Scott Richardson

Trainer Bjorn Baker has paid tribute to Group 1 winning owner and former Auckland Racing Club director Scott Richardson, who passed away earlier this week.

Richardson, whose pink silks with grey armbands became synonymous with success, was a significant supporter of Baker when he moved to Australia while Richardson also celebrated success with Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, racing the Group 1 winning mare Diademe (NZ) (Savabeel) with them.

“I first met Scott back in New Zealand around 2007 when I started training with my father,” Bjorn Baker said.

“We are truly grateful for the association we had with him - in fact, there are over 70 winners on the board with Scott as owner and Murray or I as trainer."

“When I moved to Australia to strike out on my own, Scott was one of the first to throw the weight of his support behind me, and continued to send me good horses such as Burbero (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) and Mr Tipsy (NZ) (Montjeu {Ire})."

“Scott was a Group One owner and a Group One bloke. I’ll raise a beer in his honour at Rosehill on Saturday. He will be missed.”

Richards sweeps 2-year-old trials

Jamie Richards dominated Tuesday's first 2-year-old trials at Te Teko, training the winner of the three heats.

The first heat actually finished in a dead heat between Richards' Ready For This (More Than Ready {USA}) and Graeme Rogerson's as yet unnamed Reliable Man (GB) filly out of Veva Girl (Fastnet Rock).

“I was really happy with him,” Richards said of Ready For This. “Usually at Te Teko over 600m when they jump and rail they are very hard to run down and I thought he did a really good job from back in the field to make good steady ground."

“We will just see how he comes through, but he might have a couple of weeks to freshen a little bit as well and then get ready for later in the season.”

Richards' unnamed colt by Bull Point, who is owned by Chris Rutten, won Heat 2 by three-quarters of a length.

“I thought he trialled well. He’s a bit of an immature horse, he lacks concentration, but I think once he puts it all together he could hopefully turn into a Karaka Million horse," Richards said.

The final heat went to Cool Aza Beel (Savabeel), who races for a Te Akau syndicate.

“He’s a Savabeel colt from a very fast Australian family that Dave (Ellis) bought off Fairdale. He’s a nice horse,” Richards said.

"The way that he trialled there today, he really followed the rail and quickened in well. He looks like a nice prospect, he reminds me a lot of Aotea Lad (Savabeel), so hopefully he can live up to something like what he did as a 2-year-old.”