GOSDEN’S DARN IN THE DUMPS
TOO DARN HOT was yesterday ruled out of the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 4 by his trainer John Gosden.
The Dubawi colt, who runs in the colours of Lord Andrew and Lady Madeleine Lloydwebber’s Watership Down Stud, has sat at head of the market for the colts’ Classic since completing a four-race unbeaten sequence as a two-year-old with victory in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last October.
Too Darn Hot even went odds-on for the first Classic of 2019 in mid-march, but has been friendless in the antepost lists since missing his intended return to action in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury eight days ago with a leg problem.
And yesterday Gosden delivered the news the favourite’s backers feared — Too Darn Hot will be absent from the Rowley Mile line-up.
“It is only nine days since he breeze-worked and this little issue was there,” Gosden said.
“It has improved dramatically but there isn’t sufficient time to get him ready. We have to be patient and I can’t do anything strenuous with him for five days.
“If we had three weeks until the Guineas it would be fine, but there are only 14 days,” added the Clarehaven trainer, who will now prepare Too Darn Hot for the Dante Stakes at York on May 17 for the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh eight days later.
Ten Sovereigns, winner of all three starts as a juvenile, is now Paddy Power’s 11-4 favourite to give Aidan O’brien a 10th 2000 Guineas triumph.