Too Darn Hot (GB)

August 9, 2018 - Sandown Park, Race 3, Msw, GBP £7,000, 8.0F

1st Dam: Dar Re Mi (GB)
2st Dam: Darara (Ire)
2st Dam: Delsy (Fr)

Owner: Lord Lloyd-Webber
Breeder: Watership Down Stud
Trainer: John Gosden

Ten years after his dam Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) earned TDN Rising Star status when breaking her maiden by seven lengths at Sandown, her fifth foal Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) achieved the same feat to earn that tag in his own right on this impressive debut. Dar Re Mi went on to triumph in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks, G1 Pretty Polly S. and G1 Dubai Sheema Classic to reward the Lloyd-Webbers’ investment in His Highness The Aga Khan’s Darara (Ire) (Top Ville {Ire}) as a Watership Down foundation mare in 1994. Dar Re Mi has looked on two occasions to provide her owner-breeders with a breakthrough Classic success via this winner’s full-sisters So Mi Dar (GB) and Lah Ti Dar (GB). The former was hot property for the Epsom Oaks following her four-length success in the 2016 G3 Musidora S. before injury intervened, while Lah Ti Dar who also earned TDN Rising Star status this term on her debut at Newbury Apr. 20 was favourite for that Classic after her Listed Pretty Polly S. win but was also sidelined.

Too Darn Hot, who is named after Cole Porter’s song written for the musical “Kiss Me, Kate” was 8-11 for this bow and broke well in front initially with Frankie Dettori looking for a tow. That came from the sluggish Mark Johnston runner Fraser Island (Ire) (Australia {GB}), but he was never travelling well enough to provide a meaningful lead for long enough. Sent up to take command approaching the quarter pole, the bay drew away under hand riding to win by seven lengths from Rowland Ward (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), a son of the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Honor Bound (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) held in high regard by Ralph Beckett, with 1 3/4 lengths back to The Queen’s fellow newcomer Calculation (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), the first foal out of her G1 Ascot Gold Cup heroine Estimate (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}).

Dettori was looking ahead with relish afterwards. “What a great family—every year it comes up with a good horse and he won very well,” he said. “He was green, as can be expected, but when I asked him to quicken on ground that was quite tiring he put a lot of distance between him and them. He’s got a bright future and reminds me of So Mi Dar.” John Gosden added, “He’s a charming horse and is coming along very nicely. There was a nice ease in the ground and he enjoyed it. He’ll go for a novice next and then we’ll see from there. He’s a grand colt and hopefully he’s got a good future.”

Whether Too Darn Hot can end the Epsom hoodoo of the Lloyd-Webbers, who also endured ill fortune with The Fugue (GB) (Dansili {GB}) when third as the favourite for the 2012 Oaks, in the Derby remains to be seen but he could hardly have enjoyed a better introduction. Also a half-brother to the smart De Treville (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Dar Re Mi’s first foal and only one offered at public auction who sold for 850,000gns at the 2013 Tattersalls October Sale, he is connected to the ill-fated G1 Prince of Wales’s S. and G1 Dubai Sheema Classic hero Rewilding (GB) (Tiger Hill {Ire}) who was third in the 2010 Epsom Derby behind Workforce (GB) (King’s Best). Further back, Darara’s relation Daliapour (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) was runner-up in the 1999 blue riband so a win in the edition 20 years on would be a welcome change of luck for the family as well as for this colt’s owner-breeders. Dar Re Mi’s yearling colt is also by Dubawi.

 

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