Too Darn Hot - New Winner

The rise of Darby Racing flagbearer Iowna Merc over the summer months has been the stuff of dreams for his many owners and he took another step forward on Saturday when winning the $300,000 Group II ATC Ajax Stakes (1500m) in a thriller.

Smart middle-distance three-year-old King Of Thunder will get another chance at Classic success following a strong second-up victory in the Bisley Workwear Handicap (1900) at Rosehill on Saturday for trainer John O’Shea and Tom Charlton.

A troubled spring which ended when she bled when unplaced in the Group I VRC Champions Mile looked to have brought to a close the spectacular racing career of Pride of Jenni, but the seven year-old mare put all of that behind her when resuming from a spell to win the $500,000 Group II MRC Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

A last start winner of the $2million Inglis Millennium, unbeaten Too Darn Hot (GB) colt Rivellino made it three wins in as many starts when securing his place in the Golden Slipper with a strong finishing win in the Group II ATC Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.

With $600,000 in the bank and four placings from her first five starts Capitalist filly Memo was ‘Australia’s best maiden’ until she went to Rosehill on Saturday where she kicked the bridesmaid tag to the kerb with a late charging win in the $250,000 ATC Magic Night Stakes (1200m).

Talented Snitzel filly Lazzura has been chasing home her over achieving stable-mate Lady Shenandoah in her previous three starts and with that filly targeted to the Group I ATC Coolmore Classic against the older mares, Lazzura grabbed her opportunity to shine when taking out the Group II ATC Phar Lap Stakes (1500m).

Vauban can only be described as a most remarkable horse and just to add to a story that appears far from finished, his first-up win in the 2000 metre Group III Sky High Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday as a seven-year-old came in the shortest race he’s ever contested.

Two starts, two wins and $1.2million is a great start to a racehorse’s career, which is exactly what Too Darn Hot juvenile Rivellino achieved when winning the $2million Inglis Millennium (RL) at Randwick on Saturday.

Here is the full list of 118 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

Lady Shenandoah won the Group I Coolmore Classic at Rosehill on Saturday, as favourite, so no real surprise, but what might surprise is the rare air she now sits within, and the question becomes where might it finish?.