Images courtesy of Darley
Some thoroughbreds are born great and others achieve greatness, but it is the potent combination of both that most stallion-masters strive for. There’s no disputing that Too Darn Hot was born great. Not only is he by Darley’s supersire Dubawi but also out of Watership Down’s exceptional Group 1-winning and producing mare Dar Re Mi.
Crucially, though, he was able to back up those blue bloodlines on the racecourse by achieving greatness and well-equipped with both race record and pedigree he retired to stud in 2020 as one of the hottest tickets in town.
The good news for Australian breeders is that they too can get in on the action. Too Darn Hot is on his way to Darley’s Kelvinside Stud where he’ll stand for an opening fee of $44,000 inc GST, but for those unfamiliar with the young sire, here’s a recap of the racing career that left the UK front pages sizzling with headlines of “Hot Hot Hot!”.
There was a bit of theatre about the horse even before he got to the racecourse. Too Darn Hot is owned by musical maestro and his wife, Lord and Lady Lloyd-Webber; a name you might associate more closely with Cats than horses. The Lloyd-Webbers, however, own the hugely successful Watership Down Stud where, ordinarily, they sell all of the colts and keep their pick of the fillies.
Lady Lloyd-Webber | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
In what turned out to be an extraordinary stroke of good fortune, a minor issue for their Dubawi colt out of Dar Re Mi as a yearling in 2017 meant that he never made it to the sales and they kept him on to race. If his breeding alone was not enough to live up to, the name Too Darn Hot – long-reserved by the Lloyd-Webbers and a favourite song from the musical ‘Kiss Me Kate’ – was another burden to carry.
It was nothing to the horse though who, under John Gosden’s training and Frankie Dettori’s steering, burst onto the scene in early August 2018 and won his maiden over a mile at Sandown by a blistering 7l. He was simply too darn good for his rivals as a 2-year-old and made his way up the grades, never starting at less than even money.
Next up was a return to Sandown for the G3 Solario S. over seven furlongs which he won by 4l and it was onto the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster where he left the following season’s G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner, Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), in his wake.
The G1 Dewhurst S. was set to be the biggest test for Too Darn Hot so far. It is run over seven furlongs at Newmarket and usually serves to be the best indicator of Classic credentials for the following year. It was another race that he made light work of, so much so that Dettori was already into full celebration mode with 50 yards left to run. His rivals were no walkovers either, the race threw up the 2019 G1 Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), as well as, the 2019 G1 Commonwealth Cup winner, Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}).
"He's an amazing horse"
In explanation of his early elation, Dettori was emphatic after the race.
“I celebrated because I was going so fast and thought there was no way anyone could get near him," Dettori said. "I love him. It's the first time Too Darn Hot has been challenged, the first three races were non-events. He's learnt a lot. He's an amazing horse. Now we can dream for next year, he's done everything we've asked him to.”
“I celebrated because I was going so fast and thought there was no way anyone could get near him." - Frankie Dettori
They were sentiments backed-up by Gosden, who said;
“He’s blessed with an awful lot of speed and it would be lovely to come back here for the Guineas. His mother got a mile-and-a-half and his father was a phenomenal miler and, at this stage, he seems to be taking more after his father.”
John Gosden | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
The Lloyd-Webbers, who set up Watership Down Stud in 1992, were understandably on a high after the race.
“He seems to have this amazing change of gear that when he’s asked, he just seems to go for it – god I wish some of my performers did that!," said Andrew.
“Joking apart, he’s one of these extraordinary things. Madeleine never keeps the colts but he had a minor issue as a yearling so we never sold him and no-one knew if he would get remotely near a racecourse.”
Theatrics for the Lloyd-Webbers
It turned out to be a huge week for the Lloyd-Webbers. Theatrics created by Too Darn Hot in the Dewhurst S. had also been provided by his full brother in the Tattersalls sales ring just three days earlier. The 2018 Dubawi yearling out of Dar Re Mi was always going to turn a few heads but he did far more than that when knocked down to David Redvers on behalf of Qatar Racing for 3.5 million gns (AU$6,982,500).
It was a significant outlay for any yearling but a price that seemed justified, particularly after Too Darn Hot won the G1 Dewhurst S., crowning himself as Champion 2-Year-Old in the process and earning an official rating on a par with Frankel’s (GB) at that stage in his career of 126.
The regally bred son of Dubawi was a warm favourite for the G1 2000 Guineas over the winter and much like his equal on ratings, Frankel, the plan was to head to the G3 Greenham S. in April first. Unfortunately, a training set back meant that he didn’t make either and the plan became slightly muddled.
It was decided that Too Darn Hot would be aimed towards the G1 Epsom Derby, however, a preparatory race in the G2 Dante S. at York over 10 furlongs proved that, despite his best efforts, he didn’t stay.
Too Darn Hot (GB)
“He's blessed with natural speed so we're going back to a mile," Dettori said.
In an attempt to notch up a Classic victory, the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas was hastily put on the agenda but just nine days later, it arguably came too soon and Too Darn Hot had to settle again for the runner-up spot. Next up was Royal Ascot for the G1 St James’s Palace S. where he was a gallant third to subsequent three-time Group 1 winner Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) but still lacking some of the pizzazz we had witnessed at two.
Back to his brilliant best
Dropped back to seven furlongs in the G1 Prix Jean Prat in early July, Too Darn Hot was back to his brilliant best and landed the spoils by an easy 3l.
Lamenting himself for his race planning earlier in the year, Gosden said after the win;
“It is very clear that we have not been clever with Too Darn Hot this season. He's very fast, he proved that as a 2-year-old, and so coming back to seven furlongs was ideal but he could still get an easy mile. He was Champion 2-Year-Old running over seven and now we'll play to his strengths rather than playing to his weaknesses. I should probably be running him in the July Cup next week!”
But it was onto Glorious Goodwood and in the G1 Sussex S., run over a mile against older horses, where Too Darn Hot proved once and for all that he had lost none of the spark he had displayed as a 2-year-old. His performance in the G1 Prix Jean Prat was impressive but a victory in the G1 Sussex S. was the real coming of age.
Too Darn Hot (GB) (pink silks)
His speed was plain to see that day, not least to the trainer.
“We’ll look at mile races but I wouldn’t be afraid of running him on Champions Day in the Sprint. What caught him out earlier in the season was the stiff mile at The Curragh and the round mile at Ascot which rises a long way. He’s an out and out speed horse – he was Champion 2-Year-Old and is all speed.
"Being honest, we got it completely wrong running in the Dante – that’s just not the horse’s trip. Then we rushed him back nine days later in Ireland which was stupid.
“The horse has fortunately overcome both his manager and his trainer. He proved that being Champion 2-year-old was no fluke and it’s great to come here and win an all age race like the Sussex.”
"He proved that being Champion 2-Year-Old was no fluke and it’s great to come here and win an all age race like the Sussex.” - John Gosden
It is likely to have been with a huge sigh of relief that connections watched Too Darn Hot win the G1 Sussex S. and return to the upper-echelons where he belonged. But no sooner was he back then he was gone again. His stunning display at Goodwood came at a cost and resulted in a leg injury that ended his career on the racecourse.
It was announced soon after that Too Darn Hot would retire to Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket, where a deal had been struck between Darley and the Lloyd-Webbers.
Too Darn Hot has all the attributes to make it as a stallion; the looks, the speed, the talent and, not to mention, the pedigree. Dubawi has also proved himself to be a sire of sires, in particular with fellow Darley associate Night Of Thunder (Ire) who was leading first-season sire in Europe in 2019 and from just a small crop of 58 in Australia, has had eight winners from 12 runners on the last time of counting.
Night Of Thunder unfortunately will not be making the trip Down Under this season, but in Too Darn Hot, Darley provide a very exciting alternative and if his progeny inherit even half of his class, they’ll be well worth having in your stable.
