Nothing Discreet about Oaks filly’s flying form
Prominent South Australian breeder David Peacock will aim to complete a notable double when his home-bred filly Too Darn Discreet (Too Darn Hot) contests Thursday’s marquee race at Flemington, the time-honoured VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m).
Eleven years after Maybe Discreet (Shamardal) carried Peacock’s lime green colours to victory in the Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m), Too Darn Discreet is well-fancied to emulate her dam’s feats in the Victorian version of the fillies’ staying classic.
The progressive three-year-old has already gone some way to filling her mum’s shoes after following her onto the Edward Manifold Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) honour roll two starts back for Dan O’Sullivan, the Ballarat-based trainer who is yet to taste success at Group 1 level.
She promptly backed up that victory with another tough performance in the Ethereal Stakes (Gr 3, 2000m) at Flemington last time, which gave O’Sullivan and Peacock all the encouragement they needed to press onto her $1 million grand final.
Peacock sees plenty of similarities between Too Darn Discreet and her dam, who will always hold a very special place in the 78-year-old’s heart after she delivered his first – and so far only – victory at racing’s highest level.
And while his prevailing sentiment 24 hours out from the Oaks is one of hope rather than expectation, the 2023 South Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductee is confident her innate toughness will take the granddaughter of the great Dubawi (Dubai Millenium) a long way in the sport of kings and queens.
“Her mum was very determined and she could also be rather wicked and naughty, and this filly has a bit of a temper on her so she’s definitely passed on some of those attributes,” said Peacock, who maintains a very sunny disposition despite suffering from a kidney condition which will prevent him from being trackside.
“Fortunately she’s also very talented like her mum, and she’s been winning purely on ability so far because she’s yet to figure out what it’s all about. But she’s definitely a real trier, so even though I have some queries over her running the distance as a daughter of Too Darn Hot, it won’t be a lack of effort that gets her beat.
“Dan’s done a great job with her and he’s a smashing fella, so I would love for this filly to win him his first Group 1, because he really deserves it. The only thing we ever argue about is over the choice of jockeys, but we both agreed Michael Dee was the best man for the job tomorrow [Saturday] after he gave her a lovely ride in the Ethereal Stakes.
“I think that was her most impressive win to date, and hopefully the best is still to come. It’s taken a long time and she’s still quite immature mentally, but there are some signs that the penny is starting to drop.
“Whatever happens in the Oaks, she’ll be spelled then we’ll hopefully look to bring her over to Adelaide next year to try to win the Australasian Oaks. I’ve had three fillies finish third in the Australasian Oaks since Maybe Discreet won it back in 2013, so it’s been a slightly frustrating race but it would be lovely to think that her daughter might be able to win another one for us.”
More than a decade on from that landmark victory at Morphettville, Peacock’s memories of the day remain vivid as he recalls Maybe Discreet overcoming a tricky draw in barrier 14 and surging to the front for trainer Phillip Stokes.
“She was sitting just off the leaders heading into the home turn then jockey Dom Tourneur, who was having his first ride on her, decided to let her go in the home straight,” Peacock told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“She shot clear and ended up winning it by about three lengths, which was amazing. I was chairman of the South Australian Jockey Club at the time so I had to keep my composure, but it’s fair to say we all had a pretty big celebration that night and it will probably be even bigger if Too Darn Discreet can win the Oaks.
“Sadly I can’t get to Flemington but we’ve got around 15 people from the ownership group heading over there, so the VRC won’t know what’s hit them. Like all South Australians, they’re not afraid to put on a show and make plenty of noise so win, lose or draw I’m sure they’ll be giving her a huge cheer during the race, which is what it’s all about.”
O’Sullivan doesn’t share Peacock’s reservations over Too Darn Discreet’s ability to see out a strong 2500 metres; although he does concede that she may need to find a length or two to overcome the likes of Matt Laurie’s filly Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express), who rocketed into Oaks favouritism after carrying Yulong’s green and white colours to a dominant victory in the Wakeful Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m).
“She’s going really well and we’ve drawn perfectly, so while Group 1s are never easy to win I’m as confident as I can be heading into the Oaks,” said O’Sullivan.
“She’s still learning her craft but she’s definitely heading in the right direction. We don’t have to overthink things from barrier three, we’re mapped to get a lovely run in transit and hopefully she’s got enough petrol left in the tank at the finish.
“I don’t have any real concerns over her running a strong 2500 metres, provided she settles of course. Her dam won an Oaks over 200 metres, so both her pedigree and her recent form suggest she’ll be able to see out the trip. I’m not worried about the track either, I thought it played very fairly on Cup Day and although a wet track probably might have advantaged her and perhaps disadvantaged some other fillies in the race, I don’t see a firmer surface as a hindrance to her chances.
“She’s obviously got the runs on the board and is improving all the time. The form from the Wakeful usually holds up well so I’m sure the quinella from that race will be very hard to beat, which is why they’re at the top of the markets, but we’re definitely in there with a live chance.”
Laurie has held a high opinion of his Wakeful Stakes heroine Treasurethe Moment from the first day the homebred filly made her way into his Mornington stables.
Since her four-length romp on debut at Geelong in June, the final foal of Draconic Treasure (Street Cry) has won three of her four career starts and currently heads the Oaks betting markets at $3.
“We knew she had something there in the early days and we just need to be a little bit patient, but she’s got a great temperament,” said Laurie.
“She’s out of a Street Cry mare and there’s a bit of staying bloodline further down the page, so I’m very confident she’ll get the Oaks trip. If you are looking for a staying horse, this filly when she paraded as a yearling absolutely screamed that. So the distance has never been an issue for me.
“Her win last week suggested she is up to Group 1 company. It’ll be great to try and win the Oaks for Yulong, they’ve been really supportive of my stable so I can’t wait for the race now.”
Victory for Treasurethe Moment would mark a significant milestone in the burgeoning career of Yulong’s resident stallion Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice), the 2020 C.F. Orr Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) hero who has produced three stakes winners from his first crop but is yet to sire a Group 1 victor.
