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11 for Too Darn Hot
Hotazhell (2 c ex Azenzar by Danehill Dancer) became the 11th individual stakes winner for Darley shuttler Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) when landing Thursday’s Tyros Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) at Leopardstown. Trained by Jessica Harrington and ridden by Shane Foley, the colt led inside the final furlong and was pushed out to defeat long-time leader Swagman (Wootton Bassett) by a length and a half with a further two and a half lengths back to odds-on favourite Surpass (Saxon Warrior) in third place. Having originally been purchased for 70,000gns as a yearling, Hotazhell was then re-sold for 200,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale in April. He is the seventh foal out of the winning Danehill Dancer (Danehill) mare Azenzar, making him a half-brother to the stakes-performed winner Rizg (No Nay Never) and Hong Kong winner Flagship Glory (Australia). Too Darn Hot, who will comfortably be crowned as the leading first-season sire in Australia this season and also sits second in the Australia 2YO Sires table, will not return to Australia in 2024 but will be available for covers on southern hemisphere time at a fee of £50,000 (approx. AU$98,050) from Dalham Hall Stud.
IRE: Bedtime Story stretches unbeaten run
Last month’s hugely impressive Chesham Stakes (Listed, 7f) winner Bedtime Story (2 f Frankel – Mecca’s Angel by Dark Angel) took her unbeaten record to three when comfortably scoring in the Silver Flash Stakes (Gr 3, 7.5f) at Leopardstown on Thursday. Sent off at prohibitive odds of 1-16 following her nine and a half length success in last month’s Listed contest at the Royal Ascot meeting, the Aidan O’Brien-trained filly was pushed along to lead over a furlong out and was never in any danger, beating stablemate Exactly (Frankel) by three and a half lengths under Ryan Moore. Barnavara (Calyx) finished third, beaten five and a quarter lengths by the winner. “Bedtime Story was very green and in an ideal world he would have liked them to go a lot quicker,” O’Brien said. “The education she got here is exactly what we were looking for and it was a great place to get it. She’s very pacy and classy and I’d say it would be hard to go fast enough for her. All going well, she might go to the Curragh for the Debutante [Stakes] on the way to the Moyglare [Stakes].”
44 for Midnight Lute
Hill ‘N’ Dale Farms stallion Midnight Lute (Real Quiet) was handed his 44th individual stakes winner on Thursday when Midnight Mammoth (5 g ex Taker Home by Vindication) proved miles too good for his four rivals in the Cougar II Stakes (Gr 3, 12f) at Del Mar. Taking the lead after breaking well, the Craig Dollase-trained five-year-old dominated proceedings and stayed on well down the home straight to beat odds-on favourite Reincarnate (Good Magic) by ten and a quarter lengths. Salesman (Dubawi) finished a further seven and three-quarter lengths back in third in a well strung-out field. Out of the winning mare Taker Home (Vindication), Midnight Mammoth is a half-brother to two winners.