Tornado Valley (AUS)
2 c Too Darn Hot – Oklahoma Girl by Fastnet Rock
O: Bennett Racing Pty Ltd, Mr B J Britten, Geelong Club, Keeping Schtum, Mr P F Guerra, The Oven Fixers, Mr M J Eastmure, Bakerland, BR Oklahoma Girl 2, BR Oklahoma Girl 1, Rosemont Stud Pty Ltd
B: Rosemont Stud, Vic
T: Ciaron Maher
S: 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale V: Rosemont Stud P: Bennett Racing, $300,000
W: Maribyrnong Plate, Gr 3, 1000m, Flemington, November 4
Ciaron Maher has an exciting prospect for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) after the colt Toronado Valley (Too Darn Hot) broke his maiden at his second start in the Maribynong Plate (Gr 3, 1100m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day.
The Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) juvenile was backing up from a third placing in the Debutant Stakes (Listed, 1000m) at Caulfield on October 15 and quickened well under Ethan Brown to assume the lead at the 200 metres before holding off the fast-finishing Tales Of Time (Pinatubo) by 0.4 lengths. Luna Vega (Lucky Vega) finished another 1.5 lengths back in third.
Maher was thrilled to see Tornado Valley have more luck at start number two and hinted that a trip to the Gold Coast could be on the cards for the $300,000 Magic Millions purchase.
“It was just like a barrier trial, really,” Maher said of the colt’s Debutant run. “I thought he was a bit sleepy out of the gates, wobbled at the turn and was very good late. This colt is very well-bred and he’s got a bright future. Magic Millions is hard to pass up and he is progressive. [They’re] nice options to have.”
The $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic will be run on the Gold Coast on January 11.
Brown, who took over from Mark Zahra aboard Tornado Valley at Flemington, was full of praise for the colt.
“It’s a great feeling,” said the winning rider. “I was on a horse who was presented very well. He took a lot of improvement from his first–up run, raced like an ultimate professional today, and had a good look at the crowd.
“He won with quite a bit of authority then. Gonna make a lovely three-year-old. He probably hit the front a bit soon, but I just had to use him just to get out in clear running.
“He’s very responsive and he won with a bit in hand. He was just very green his first-up run, and it’s a sign of a good horse.
“He’s taken the right improvement. You can see he’s pulled up so well, Nathan Bennett and the team, Ciaron Maher, they’ve got a nice horse on their hands. Ciaron assured me he’d taken a lot of improvement and he was dead right.”
Bred by Rosemont Stud, Tornado Valley is the fifth foal and only winner out of the Group 1-placed winner Oklahoma Girl (Fastnet Rock), who herself is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Sure Knee (Snitzel).