Cover image courtesy of Darley
When it was announced a few months ago that Too Darn Hot (GB) would not be shuttling to Australia this spring, there were disappointed sighs amongst breeders who were justifiably excited by his early local results.
But a number of those decided that location was not going to stop them utilizing his services, leading to the 8-year-old being supported by a very nice book of 60 mares being bred to southern hemisphere time from his Newmarket base.
There are several opportunities for Australian breeders to snap up these mares in the coming weeks, however. The Sceptre Sessions at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale will feature five in-foal mares, including a standout for Australians with the offering of Blessed Truly (Can) (Souper Speedy {Can}) - a close relation to recent brilliant G1 Coolmore S. winner Switzerland (Snitzel).
Soon after, on Dec 11 and 12, the inaugural Southern Hemisphere Session offered by Tattersalls Online and Inglis Digital will feature an octet of mares in foal to the sire.
The future has Liam O’Rourke excited, especially in regards to the quality of the mares Too Darn Hot has been serving.
“Of his southern hemisphere book, five have produced Group winners including the dams of the Group 1 winners Barney Roy, Daumier and Land Legend.”
Too Darn Hot (GB) | Standing at Dalham Hall, UK
Another 17 are stakes-winning mares and amongst that impressive tally are three Group 1 winners.
The South African Champion 2YO Filly Cloth Of Cloud (SAF) (Captain Al {SAF}) is one of those and interestingly the half-sister to fellow Group 1 winner Silver Mountain (SAF) (Silvano {Ger}) hails from the same prolific Frizette (USA) (Hamburg {USA}) family as Too Darn Hot.
Medaglia d’Oro (USA) is a stallion who picks up well on Frizette influence so it is nice to see one of his best daughters visiting Too Darn Hot, the G1 1000 Guineas winner Flit whose half-sister Speedway (Street Cry {Ire}) is the dam of Too Darn Hot’s local star 3-year-old Broadsiding.
Broadsiding | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Another from South Africa is the G1 Woolavington 2000 winner Lady Of The House (SAF) (Dynasty {SAF}) whose dam Overarching (USA) (Arch {USA}) earned the title of South African Champion Female Sprinter with her two wins at the elite level.
That’s an interesting mating too, Dynasty (SAF) being a son of the great South African success story Fort Wood (USA) whose high achieving dam Fall Aspen (USA) (Pretense {USA}) is the grandam of Too Darn Hot’s grandsire Dubai Millennium (GB).
Five other Group-winning mares are members of Too Darn Hot’s book whilst 19 are the daughters of Group winners.
Liam O'Rourke | Image courtesy of Darley, UK
Amongst the latter are a nice selection of mares whose dams won Group 1 races; the Great Britain and French Champion Female Older Stayer Aquarelliste (Fr) (Danehill {USA}), the GB Champion 3YO Filly Blue Bunting (USA) (Dynaformer {USA}), the European Champion 3YO Filly Sariska (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), the dual Group 1 winner Switch (USA) (Quiet American {USA}) and aptly two winners of the G1 Frizette S. (ancestress of Too Darn Hot); Nickname (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}) and Yellow Agate (USA) (Gemologist {USA}).
The daughters of two mares well known in this part of the world are also on the list; one out of the G1 Australasian Oaks winner Small Minds (Canny Lad) and another out of the eight-time Group 1 winner More Joyous (More Than Ready {USA}).
Adding further strength to Too Darn Hot’s crop are 24 siblings to stakes winners with nine of those; Bivouac, Cylinder, In Italian (Dubawi {Ire}), Just Fine (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Lyric Of Light (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}), Skilled, Silver Mountain, Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}) and Zoffany (Ire).
Gary Johnson is a fan and supporter
One Australian Too Darn Hot fan is Gary Johnson, the Perth-based successful owner and breeder who admits to being a big fan of the European style of horse.
“I have fallen in love with horses like Siyouni, Frankel, Kingman, Zarak, Baaeed and Too Darn Hot,” he said.
“So I have been meddling my way around breeding in Europe and bought some mares. So when it was announced that Too Darn Hot would not be shuttling and would be serving to southern hemisphere time I thought ‘easy’ I have the mares!”
“... I have been meddling my way around breeding in Europe and bought some mares. So when it was announced that Too Darn Hot would not be shuttling and would be serving to southern hemisphere time I thought ‘easy’ I have the mares!” - Gary Johnson
Johnson has sent well-related mares to the young stallion; Believeinmiracles (Ire) (Frankel), a two-time winner whose dam is a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner Ulysses (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Crimson Coronet (GB) (Zoustar), a winning daughter of the Listed winner Crimson Rosette (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Good Liza (Fr) (Kingman), a winning half-sister to the stakes winners Grocer Jack (Ger) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and Ghislaine (GB) (Soldier Hollow {GB}).
Johnson has his Australian mares at Three Bridges Thoroughbreds in Victoria and with that stud’s Toby Liston he enjoyed visiting Too Darn Hot last year, also taking time to check in on Dubawi (Ire).
Gary Johnson and Pete Murray | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“You really could say that he is the pony who takes kids for a ride,” he laughed in regards to Dubawi’s well-known lack of stature.
“But he is probably one of the greatest stallions of all time!”
“You really could say that he (Dubawi) is the pony who takes kids for a ride, but he is probably one of the greatest stallions of all time!” - Gary Johnson
Which is no exaggeration with Dubawi’s stakes winner ratio of 16.7 per cent an impressive one. He stood only three seasons in Australia where 138 of his 185 runners (74.5 per cent) of his runners were winners including 23 (12.4 per cent) stakes winners.
Amongs those being the Group 1 winners Srikandi, Secret Admirer, Tiger Tees (NZ) and Shamal Wind.
Excellent results from initial scans
Results from the initial scans of Too Darn Hot’s southern hemisphere time mares have, O’Rourke said, been “excellent.”
“Coverings are continuing and a high percentage of pregnancies is expected,” he said.
O’Rourke and the Darley team have been long-time fans of Too Darn Hot, not surprisingly considering the success they have enjoyed with his sire and his grandsire who was of course taken far too soon.
Too Darn Hot (GB) | Standing at Dalham Hall, UK
“Too Darn Hot caught the eye from an early stage and I was monitoring his progress well before his debut at Sandown,” O’Rourke said.
“We had been searching for a possible heir to the great Dubawi and Too Darn Hot possessed that rare combination of tip-top conformation, an excellent ability and the racing ability to match.”
“We had been searching for a possible heir to the great Dubawi and Too Darn Hot possessed that rare combination of tip-top conformation, an excellent ability and the racing ability to match.” - Liam O’Rourke
“He really ticked all the boxes. We had to stretch to get him but it does seem worthwhile now. Luckily his breeders and now co-owners Madeline and Andrew Lloyd-Webber were keen to stand him in the United Kingdom.”
O’Rourke sees a lot of Dubawi’s qualities in Too Darn Hot, in particular “his toughness.”
“He is transmitting that to his stock, Hotazhell a good example; his last two starts have epitomised that toughness and it is very much a Dubawi trait,” he said, joking that “dad is very proud of his son!”
O’Rourke is also a fan of Too Darn Hot on type. “He is refined, correct and all quality.”
Playful and full of energy
“And temperament-wise he remains quite playful and full of energy as he was when in training. There is no malice whatsoever in him.”
O’Rourke has not been surprised to see Too Darn Hot fare so well in Australia, noting that “he was an amenable horse who settled well in his races. He was primarily a good ground horse with a very telling turn of foot, both very important for the Australian style of racing.”
“Interestingly his progeny have shown versatility in regards to ground conditions with both of his Group 1-winning colts Broadsiding and Hotazhell winning on soft ground as well as good.”
“Interestingly his (Too Darn Hot) progeny have shown versatility in regards to ground conditions with both of his Group 1-winning colts Broadsiding and Hotazhell winning on soft ground as well as good.” - Liam O’Rourke
The winner of six of his nine starts, Too Darn Hot was three times successful in Group 1 company, earning himself the titles of Champion 2YO and 3YO Colt in Europe in 2018 and 2019. Champion 2YO in GB in 2018, Champion 3YO Sprinter in France in 2019 and Champion 3YO Miler in GB in 2019.
Pedigree wise they don’t really come any better bred. One of his super sire’s 290 stakes winners and 59 Group 1 winners, he is one of the three stakes winners for his three-time Group 1-winning dam Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), the Champion Older Female in GB in 2009.
Her Group 1-winning dam Darara (Ire) (Top Ville {Ire}) did a superb job at stud with her 10 winners including five stakes winners with River Dancer (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}), Rewilding (GB) (Tiger Hill {Ire}) and Darazari (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) also being Group 1 winners.
