Lope De Vega's excellent year continues with Caulfield Cup success for ex-Weld-trained Duke De Sessa

Ballylinch Stud’s marquee stallion Lope De Vega chalked up his 24th individual Group 1 winner and sixth in Australia when the Ciaron Maher-trained Duke De Sessa soared to an impressive win in Saturday’s Caulfield Cup. 

A dual Group 3 and Listed winner when trained by Dermot Weld, Duke De Sessa was winning for the first time since joining Maher’s stable last year. 

Originally purchased for £60,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale in 2020, the gelding is out of the Group 3-placed winner Dark Crusader, by Cape Cross, who is herself a half-sister to Listed scorer Naughty Or Nice, by Fastnet Rock. 

Lope De Vega’s other Group 1 winners in Australia are Santa Ana Lane, Vega Magic, Gytrash, Vega One and Arapaho.  

The 17-year-old is enjoying a stunning year, his other highlights including a French Classic double courtesy of Rouhiya (Poule d’Essai des Pouliches) and Look De Vega (Prix du Jockey Club), Shadow Of Light’s rare Middle Park-Dewhurst double plus dual Grade 1 winner Carl Spackler’s emergence in the United States. 

On the Caulfield undercard, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Too Darn Lizzie emerged as a genuine contender for next month’s Thousand Guineas when she landed the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude, in the process providing former Darley shuttler Too Darn Hot with his 16th individual stakes winner and fifth in Australia. 

The second foal of 2018 Group 2 Blue Diamond Prelude victor Enbihaar, Too Darn Lizzie was bought from Vinery Stud’s draft for A$1 million at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Tulloch Lodge along with McKeever Bloodstock and Watership Down, the dual-base British-Irish stud farm of Lord Lloyd-Webber and his wife Madeleine. 

This is the second upgrade the family has had in the space of three days, with Enbihaar’s Miss Celine having won the Listed Debutant Stakes on her debut at Caulfield on Wednesday. 

Too Darn Hot also had the winner of the previous race, the Group 3 Schweppes Ethereal Stakes, as his three-year-old daughter Too Darn Discreet followed up her victory in the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes at the track earlier in the month.

The Dan O'Sullivan-trained filly is out of the Shamardal mare Maybe Discreet.

Crowned Australia’s champion first-season sire by earnings last year, Too Darn Hot did not return to Kelvinside in 2024. 

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