Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
In a highly competitive field, Hezdarnhottoo surged to victory over the $1.6 million Inglis Easter Yearling Sale graduate Imperial Force (Snitzel), with the eye-catching Smashing Time (Brave Smash {Jpn}) taking third place.
Luke Hilton, representing the Baker stable, spoke highly of the colt after the race, praising his demeanor and potential.
“He’s a lovely colt, a bit raw; he jumped in the air at the start the other day. To Tommy’s credit, he didn’t drive him mad, let him find his feet, and he worked to the line well.”
This win marks the fifth Southern Hemisphere first-crop victory for sire Too Darn Hot (GB) and his debut victory in the Sydney metropolitan area.
With this achievement, the Darley-based stallion rises to fourth position among first-season sires by earnings, while sharing the lead in number of winners with Alabama Express and Tassort.
Clarke a fan of Too Darn Hot
Speaking to Jim Clarke of Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) after the colt’s impressive win, it's evident that Too Darn Hot has always been on the astute agent’s radar, with Hezdarnhottoo being his first purchase by the classy shuttle sire.
“I’ve always been pretty keen on Too Darn Hot; when we were looking through the yearlings last year, we were keen to try and get our hands on one if we could.”
Jim Clarke | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
A relatively modest acquisition, Clarke expressed his delight in securing the horse for stable clients of Bjorn Baker.
“I just thought he was a really nice yearling. I love the fact that he was out of a talented young Savabeel mare. At the time that we bought him and at the price, I thought he was a nice buy and judging on the way he went today, that could be the case.”
“At the time that we bought him and at the price, I thought he was a nice buy and judging on the way he went today, that could be the case.” - Jim Clarke
While ambitious goals await this talented colt, Clarke had already increased his investment in the stallion long before this colt’s impressive victory.
“We bought a very nice filly by him as a weanling last year for the Cunningham family to race. And a handful of mares were bred to the stallion last year. There's a couple of foals at Ridgemont by him too.”
Acquired for NZ$170,000 from the Elsdon Park consignment by Bjorn Baker Racing and Clarke Bloodstock at last year's New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, this colt was bred by Lib and Katrina Petagna’s JBL Bloodstock. He is out of Stakes-placed Savabeel mare Rosa Carolina (NZ), who boasts an impeccable breeding record with three winners from three starters.
Hezdarnhottoo as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Roger James and Robert Wellwood went to $220,000 for Rosa Carolina's Almanzor yearling filly consigned by Elsdon Park at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale earlier this year.
Bruce Perry Bloodstock purchased Rosa Carolina for $220,000 at the 2015 NZB Premier Yearling Sale. She is a daughter of the Group 1 placed stakes winning O'Reilly mare Ombre Rose (NZ), and was covered by State Of Rest (IRE) last spring.
