Too Darn Hot to stand at Dalham Hall Stud at end of racing career

The stallion future of European champion two-year-old elect Too Darn Hot has been secured even before he has turned three.

Lord and Lady Lloyd-Webber's homebred, unbeaten in four starts for John Gosden, will eventually stand under the Darley banner at Dalham Hall Stud – where his sire Dubawi has stood with such success.

A short statement from Darley read: “An agreement has been reached between Watership Down Stud and Godolphin for Too Darn Hot to stand at Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket at the end of his racing career.”

Too Darn Hot scorched to a seven-length victory on debut at Sandown in August before returning to the track to take the Solario Stakes, beating Royal Ascot winner Arthur Kitt four lengths into second.

On his next start he defeated the high-class Phoenix Of Spain to take the Champagne Stakes and he capped his outstanding juvenile season with a convincing victory over the accomplished pair Advertise and Anthony Van Dyck in a hot renewal of the Dewhurst.

Too Darn Hot is subsequently a best-priced 11-8 chance for the 2,000 Guineas and is available at around 4-1 for the Derby.

After the Dewhurst, Gosden said: "He’s blessed with an awful lot of speed and it would be lovely to come back here for the Guineas.

“His mother got a mile and a half and his father was a phenomenal miler and, at this stage, he seems to be taking more after his father.

"He showed zip there over seven but I think a mile to a mile and a quarter would be within his range."

Too Darn Hot's stallion appeal is enhanced by the fact he boasts such a happening pedigree.

He is out of the Lloyd Webbers' three-time Group 1-winning mare Dar Re Mi, who has also produced for her owners their St Leger runner-up Lah Ti Dar and Musidora Stakes winner So Mi Dar – both fillies also by Dubawi.

The high standing of the family was in evidence at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale last month, when Qatar Racing gave 3,500,000gns – the highest price for a horse that age at auction this year – for a brother to Too Darn Hot, Lah Ti Dar and So Mi Dar.

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