Lloyd Webber’s Lizzie filly too hot for rivals
Million dollar filly Too Darn Lizzie (Too Darn Hot) brought another major result for her surging shuttle stallion and a famed owner of both runner and sire – Andrew Lloyd Webber – with a courageous victory in yesterday’s Magic Millions The Debut 2YO Fillies Plate (1000m).
Strongly backed into odds-on favouritism after a four-length win in her only barrier trial at Warwick Farm on December 23, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Too Darn Lizzie pushed to the lead after 100 metres for jockey Tim Clark, and while headed early in the straight by Froebel Star (Zousain), fought back under strong whip riding from Tim Clark inside the last 200 metres to beat her by a length and a half.
The winner’s stablemate Dominetta (Zoustar), a half-sister to versatile multiple Group 1 winner Hartnell (Authorized), took third a further neck away.
In its second year of running at the Magic Millions carnival, The Debut was split into two $500,000 divisions, with Brisbane gelding Lead Me On (Brutal) – who in contrast to Too Darn Lizzie cost $50,000 as a yearling – taking the colts and geldings division, giving his Newgate Farm sire a second winner from six first-crop runners.
Too Darn Lizzie not only brought the Waterhouse-Bott stable a stunning eighth two-year-old winner of the season, she pushed Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) to the top of the Australian first season sires table, by winners, with his fourth from six runners, and second by that marker among two-year-old sires.
The second foal of 2018 Blue Diamond Prelude (Gr 2, 1100m) victor Enbihaar (Magnus), Too Darn Lizzie was bought from Vinery Stud’s draft for $1 million at the Gold Coast by Tulloch Lodge along with McKeever Bloodstock and Watership Down, the dual-base English-Irish stud farm of Lord Lloyd-Webber and his wife Madeleine.
With Lady Lloyd Webber hailing from a far more equine-oriented background than her music impresario husband, the couple raced Too Darn Hot in his triple Group 1-winning career. He’s now the only sire in which they have an interest, owning half of the eight-year-old along with Darley, with their stake in Too Darn Lizzie a mark of support for their stallion.
Too Darn Hot has shuttled to Darley’s Kelvinside farm for the past four seasons, at a fee of $44,000 (inc GST), and has quickly become one of the breeding empire’s star performers.
Heading into raceday after the first four days of the ongoing Magic Millions Gold Coast sale, the son of the all-conquering Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) had the second-top lot to his name, Segenhoe Stud’s colt from dual stakes-winner A Time For Julia (Redoute’s Choice), bought by Ciaron Maher and David Redvers for $1.9 million.
Too Darn Hot ranked eighth by averages at the sale to that point, with nine lots sold for an average of $449,000.
Bred by Fraser Brown, Rohan Ford and Mrs S Cummings, Too Darn Lizzie was yesterday installed as a $51 chance in betting for the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m). It’s a market dominated by Waterhouse and Bott runners also including the $4.50 favourite in yesterday’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Storm Boy (Justify), plus Shangri La Express (Alabama Express, $7), Straight Charge (Written By, $17), Anode (I Am Invincible, $26), Espionage (Zoustar, $17), Prost (Snitzel, $34).
“You’re always a little bit nervous about them getting to the track for the first time but her quality showed through there late because she was challenged, the pressure was put on her at the top of the straight and I loved the way she responded through to the line,” said co-trainer Adrian Bott after Too Darn Lizzie led home eight rivals yesterday.
“She’s a tough filly with plenty of class, no doubt.
“I think there is a lot of upside off the back of today and the trip away will do her the world of good.
“With a filly like her we’d love to add some black–type.
“He (Lord Lloyd Webber) raced the stallion Too Darn Hot who was a phenomenal racehorse in Europe and he’s already making a big impact here in Australia.
“He wanted to come down to support the stallion and he did so in a big way, paying a million dollars for her.”
Too Darn Lizzie’s half-brother by I Am Invincible (Lot 632) sold for $700,000 earlier in the week at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale to Rosemont Stud, Suman Hedge and Mick Price Racing. Dorrington Farm’s Rob Crabtree, who bred Enbihaar, also bought a share in the colt.
Enbihaar missed on return to I Am Invincible in 2022, but was covered again by Too Darn Hot last September. The eight-year-old mare’s first foal Extremely Wicked (Zoustar), a $550,000 Gold Coast Weanling Sale buy for Bahen Bloodstock, has been thrice-placed in country Victoria amongst six starts for Matt Laurie.
Crabtree yesterday told ANZ his mare Charm’s Honour (Strada) – dam of Enbihaar – was now in foal to Too Darn Hot. He also has a yearling sister by Magnus (Flying Spur) to Enbihaar.
Carrying Watership Down’s pink with a grey sash which were also borne by Too Darn Hot, Too Darn Lizzie is raced by Lord Lloyd Webber along with the woman after whom she is named, actress Elizabeth Spender, the widow of Australian comedian Barry Humphries who died last year. A delighted Spender was at the Gold Coast yesterday to lead the filly in after her win.
“They tried to call the horse Lizzie Spender, but they turned that down, so we went for Too Darn Lizzie instead,” Spender told reporters.
“Gai has done the most wonderful job and thanks to Madeleine Lloyd-Webber, my friend who bred Too Darn Hot and purchased his progeny.”
Meanwhile, Lead Me On – hatched from the other end of the yearling market to the fillies’ division winner – brought a huge return on investment for his team of owners and Eagle Farm trainer Chris Anderson.
Bred by Victoria’s Winton Bloodstock and sold by Kitchwin Hills, the gelding was bought by Anderson and a posse of heavy-hitters in Neil Werrett, Max Whitby and David Giesemann at the Gold Coast last January. But after he was initially passed in, the group only had to part with $50,000 to buy him.
Ridden by comeback jockey Michael Rodd yesterday, Lead Me On ($6) scored a gritty win after travelling outside the leader from gate nine in the ten-horse field, having a length to spare on the line despite being wayward in the last 200m. Heavenly Impact (Harry Angel) took second, with The Hamo (Better Than Ready) third.
Lead Me On is the second foal of Melbourne city winner The Seductress (Snitzel), who also has a yearling filly by Written By (Written Tycoon).
“For trainers like me to be successful, I need those guys (Whitby and Werrett) in my stable,” Anderson said.
“They took a risk and they’ve been rewarded with a pretty cheap horse – we only paid $50,000 for him.”