Three-year-old summary: Saturday stakes double for Too Darn Hot

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Lizzie scorches the field in Thousand Guineas Prelude

It was a scorcher of a day for Darley’s Too Darn Hot (GB), as his daughter Too Darn Lizzie made good on her early promise to win the G2 Thousand Guineas Prelude at Caulfield. The 3-year-old won the $500,000 Magic Millions The Debut in January and followed it up with placings in the G2 Reisling S. and Listed Jim Moloney S., but on Saturday, she was not to be denied, winning by 2l for the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable. The filly led from the gates and refused to be caught by the strong finishing Zeitung (Exceed And Excel) and Geegees Mistruth (Wordsmith).

“Too darn fast, exactly,” said Waterhouse, who was on course for the race. “Of course she’s by this amazing sire, Too Darn Hot, that’s doing it both in the north and south.”

“We brought her here on Tuesday, and I just love the way she finished off her work. I didn’t put a jockey on her, I just put the work rider on, who just gets on with her, and she did everything right. I love it when they tick all the boxes going into a big race.

“Oh, absolutely (going on to the Thousand Guineas). That’s what we’re here for.”

Jockey Tim Clark was equally pleased post-race, “She’s a filly that’s just continued to improve and as I said, they were really happy with how she’d come through her last run.”

Mckeever Bloodstock, Watership Down, and Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing went to $1,000,000 to acquire the second foal of G2 Blue Diamond Prelude winner Enbihaar (Magnus) at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Vinery Stud. She runs in the pink and grey colours of musical theatre maestro Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber and his wife Madeleine Gurdon. Enbihaar, who was second in the G1 Blue Diamond and is from the family of G1 Champagne S. victor Quick Star (Success Express {USA}), produced a full brother to Too Darn Lizzie in August.

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Too Darn Hot has produced 101 winners to date, and has Group 1 winners in both hemispheres, headed by three-time Group 1 winner Broadsiding and G1 Curragh Moyglare Stud S. winning Fallen Angel (GB).

'Pretty special' filly hands Castelvecchio second stakes winner

It was an unusual quinella for Arrowfield Stud in the Listed Reginald Allen H. at Randwick on Saturday, as their colours crossed the line second, but - more importantly - a runner for their young stallion crossed the line first. Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) launched an incredible attack from midfield within the last 100 metres to beat out regally bred Dominetta (Zoustar) to give her sire his second career stakes winner, just one week after the first. The 3-year-old filly chalked up her second win in just four starts, having broken her maiden at Randwick-Kensington in August.

“Right from her first win here on the Kensington track, it was pretty special,” said trainer Chris Waller. “We backed off of her after that to try and have her ready for a race like this, so we thought enough of it to bring her today.

“We booked James McDonald to ride, which is a pointer of what we think of her.”

James McDonald was equally pleased with the filly’s first-up performance, “She’ll improve off that and she did a really good job today. She’s only had a few starts, so it is all ahead of her.”

Offered at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale last year by Rich Hill Stud, Aeliana was a NZ$180,000 purchase for Star Thoroughbreds. Dam Temolie (Star Witness) is a half-sister to Star Thoroughbreds’ top performer, G1 Tattersalls Tiara victress Invincibella (I Am Invincible), and G3 JRA Cup winner Secret Blaze (Sizzling). Temolie’s third dam was three-time Listed winner Taciturn (NZ) (Noble Bijou {USA}), dam of G1 Adelaide Cup winner The Hind (NZ) (McGinty {NZ}).

Castelvecchio, standing his fifth season at Arrowfield Stud for $22,000 (inc GST), has patiently awaited his stakes winners to appear and was rewarded last weekend by emerging colt El Castello’s victory in the G3 Gloaming S.

Arrowfield Stud offered runner up Dominetta at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale on behalf of breeders Mt Brilliant Farm, where Paul Messara bought her for $500,000 and sent the half-sister to four-time Group 1 winner Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, where she hasn’t been outside the top three in three starts. Dam Debonnaire (GB) (Anabaa {USA}) missed to Justify (USA) last spring before being exported to the States.

Cumani is Derby dreaming after Dundeel colt sheds maiden status

It was a narrow contest in the G3 Caulfield Classic on Saturday, but Kingofwallstreet (Dundeel {NZ}) emerged victorious by 0.02l, clinching his maiden victory as well as his first Group win in his defeat of China Sea (Fastnet Rock). Race favourite Keeneland (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}), who won the Listed Super Impose S. at his last outing, was third.

Trainer Matt Cumani believes he might have a G1 Victoria Derby prospect on his hands with the 3-year-old colt, who only had his first race start in August.

“It's difficult to know which one (horse) is better,” said Cumani, comparing the colt to his recent Derby contender Hit The Shot (Dundeel {NZ}), who ran a close second in the Group 1 contest in 2020. “I'd like to think it’s this one (Kingofwallstreet) because I don't think Hit The Shot's Derby was a particularly strong one. So hopefully, if this is a stronger Derby, this is a better horse.”

Kingofwallstreet is out of Our Girl Racquie (Fastnet Rock), a half-sister to G3 Newmarket H. victor Rustic Steel (Deep Field) and a granddaughter of the great Shantha’s Choice (Canny Lad), making her a three-quarter sister in blood to Champion 3YO Filly Shoals (Fastnet Rock) and G1 Caulfield Guineas placegetter Groundswell (Fastnet Rock).

Matt Cumani purchased the son of Arrowfield Stud’s Dundeel (NZ) for $120,000 in conjunction with McKeever Bloodstock at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Rathmore Lodge. He previously passed in at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale when offered by Kitchwin Hills.

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Dundeel commands an $88,000 (inc GST) fee this season as he collects his 31st individual stakes winner. Our Girl Racquie has since struggled in the breeding barn but expects a foal by dual Group 1 winner Artorius this spring.

Too Darn Discreet too darn tough in Ethereal showdown

David Peacock’s Discreet family produced another multiple stakes winner at Caulfield on Saturday, when his lime green colours crossed the line first in the G3 Ethereal S., worn by Too Darn Discreet (Too Darn Hot {GB}) as she claimed her second stakes win in a row, as well as giving her sire a Saturday stakes double. Hot off of victory in the G2 Edward Manifold S. at Flemington, the 3-year-old filly pulled out wide with 500 metres to go and steamed ahead of Jenni’s Meadow (Brutal {NZ}) to score by 0.4l for trainer Dan Sullivan, justifying her favouritism with the bookies.

“A good tough win,” Sullivan said. “She’s terribly well-bred. She always had a fair bit of attitude, but whenever we asked her to do a bit of track work, she’s always gone up with it.

“We’re certainly considering the Oaks, especially the way she is, as tough as what she is. The Wakeful (S.) has proved over the years to be the form race that you need to run in to get to the Oaks, so this run will probably take a bit out of her. We’ll see how she recovers.

“We’ll enjoy the moment today first and think about what we’ll do going ahead.”

Jockey Michael Dee, hot off of riding the winning Kingofwallstreet in the previous 2000-metre contest, can see a path to the Oaks as well.

“She probably definitely wants the extra distance but she’s still doing a couple of things wrong, she can travel quite keenly,” he said. “I think if the Oaks was run at a good genuine tempo, she’ll relax, and she’s definitely got the stamina to keep going.”

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Having strung three wins together, from a maiden win in September to back-to-back stakes victories, Too Darn Discreet further bolsters the pedigree of her dam, G1 Schweppes Oaks victress Maybe Discreet (Sharmardal {USA}). Peacock has cultivated the family from Listed winner Halo Again (Don’t Say Halo {USA}) and her half-brother, G2 Spring S. victor Oriental Ruler (Mikado). After producing a full sibling to Too Darn Discreet last spring, Maybe Discreet slipped to Godolphin’s Ghaiyyath (Ire). Too Darn Hot, winner of the G1 Dewhurst S., has 16 stakes winners worldwide, five of which are born and raced in Australia.

Maiden stakes win for Rae and Lofty at Caulfield

Lofty Arch (Snitzel) delivered a maiden stakes win for trainer Alex Rae and the 149th stakes winner for his sire in a slashing victory in the Listed Gothic S. at Caulfield on Saturday. The Lofty Thoroughbred Group-owned colt debuted in September for a win at Cranbourne, and showed he was in for bigger things with his 0.46l victory over Lovelycut (Ilovethiscity).

“It means a lot,” said Rae, who trained his first winner in 2016 when he was just 21. “We work very hard. It’s been overwhelming getting the support of someone like Paul Lofitis, and to get a good quality colt in the stable. To deliver a stakes result with a quality colt, it’s a positive step.

“We had a big opinion of this horse as a juvenile, and it was 12 months later that we got him to the races. As a team, we have been quite aggressive in how we have placed him.”

The G1 Coolmore Stud S. in a fortnight’s time has a certain allure, but Rae will be putting the horse first. "With an exciting colt like this, we will monitor him for the next 48 hours and do what’s best for him.”

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Twin Hills Stud offered Lofty Arch at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where he passed in, but the Lofty Thoroughbred Group were in attendance at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale later that year to pick him up for $200,000. He is a son of G3 Prix d’Aumale victress Soneva (USA) (Cherokee Run {USA}), also the dam of 20-time winner and three-time Champion Older Male in Qatar The Blue Eye (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and juvenile stakes performer See You Soon (Siyouni {Fr}), dam of G1 Flight S. placegetter Snow In May (The Autumn Sun). After foaling a filly by G2 Todman S. winner Aylmerton last year, Soneva has retired from stud duties.

Four-time Champion Sire Snitzel crossed the barrier to 100 stakes winners in April 2020, and Lofty Arch brings him tantalisingly close to another incredible milestone of 150 individual stakes winners.

Rush of Gold at Morphettville for Gluyas and Guru Syndicate

Emerging 3-year-old Goldrush Guru (American Pharoah {USA}) showed he was on an upward trajectory with a 2.2l win in the Listed Hill Smith S. at Morphettville on Saturday, thoroughly fending off Elvstroem Classic winner Cavity Bay (Cable Bay {Ire}). The colt, who is having his second proper racing preparation, has started to really put it together, having won three of his five starts in this preparation and running strong seconds in the other two. Trainer Andrew Gluyas secured his fifth win in the 1800-metre feature with Goldrush Guru’s performance, he will likely aim the colt at the G1 Victoria Derby next.

“It was a good win, he travelled good and presented himself,” jockey Jason Holder said.

“I got there a bit early, but he was full of running, I let him go and when I asked him, he went bang, and I thought ‘They want to be good to beat me'. I just really wanted to keep him in his comfort zone. The guys on him have done a really good job, like Mollie (Knowles) and Caitlin Jones have got him to where he's at now and he's showing the rewards, he's a nice, serious racehorse.”

A homebred for the Guru Breeding Syndicate from G2 Wakeful S. runner up Glam Guru (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), Goldrush Guru is a close relation to G3 Chairman’s S. winner Gamblin’ Guru (New Approach {Ire}) and Champion 3YO in Australia 1997-98 Gold Guru (Geiger Counter {USA}. Another relation, G2 Sandown Classic winner Gallant Guru, stands at stud at White Robe Lodge in New Zealand, where he has sired six stakes winners, headed by G1 Metropolitan H. winner Patrick Erin (NZ).

Sire American Pharoah (USA) has not visited Australia since 2021 and has amassed 51 stakes winners worldwide, headed by the recently departed Riff Rocket. Glam Guru has a 2-year-old yet to reach the track, Golden Guru (Toronado {Ire}), as well as a yearling colt by Palace Pier (GB). She visited St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) late last spring.