'TDN Rising Star' Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) has been rated far and away the best juvenile in Europe last season, with his rating of 126 assigned by the European Two-Year-Old Classifications the highest since, and equal to, the marks assigned to joint champions Frankel (GB) and Dream Ahead in 2010.
Campaigned as a homebred by Lord and Lady Lloyd-Webber with trainer John Gosden, Too Darn Hot-a son of the triple Group 1 winner Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire})-went unbeaten in four starts last year, including the G1 Dewhurst S., G2 Champagne S. and G3 Solario S. He also received the Cartier 2-year-old colt award.
The British Horseracing Authority's lead two-year-old handicapper Graeme Smith said, “Too Darn Hot confirmed himself an outstanding juvenile in the Dewhurst where he put some strong form lines firmly in the shade. The last three 2-year-olds rated at his level went on to win 15 Group 1s between them, and in what promises to be an above-average Classic crop he already sets a lofty standard with the potential of better still.”
Dubawi is also responsible for the next on the list, Godolphin's unbeaten G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. and G2 Superlative S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Quorto (Ire), trained in Newmarket by Charlie Appleby. He is rated 121.
The Coolmore partners' 'TDN Rising Star' Ten Sovereigns (Ire), a son of champion first-season sire No Nay Never, was the highest-rated 2-year-old trained in Ireland last year at 120. He won The Curragh's G3 Round Tower S. and shipped to Newmarket to win the G1 Middle Park S.
Mark Bird, Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board Handicapper and delegate at the European 2-year-old meeting, said, “Quorto put up the best performance by a juvenile in Ireland in 2018, following in the footsteps of his sire Dubawi in winning both the Bet365 Superlative S. and the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. at two, and he rates just one pound below his sire as a 2-year-old on 121.
“The leading Irish-trained juvenile was Aidan O'Brien's Ten Sovereigns, who completed an unbeaten season with a defeat of Jash in the Juddmonte Middle Park S. and who ends the year on a rating of 120, which is one pound ahead of the figure achieved by his sire No Nay Never at two.”
Phoenix Thoroughbreds's Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) had to settle for second-best to Too Darn Hot in the Dewhurst, but prior to that he had won Newmarket's G2 July S. and The Curragh's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. for trainer Martyn Meade, and he has been given a rating of 119. A pair of colts share a mark of 118: Shadwell's 'TDN Rising Star' Jash (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), second to Ten Sovereigns in the Middle Park, and the Aidan O'Brien-trained Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), winner of the G3 Tyros S. and G2 Futurity S. and placed in the National S. and Dewhurst.
Pretty Pollyanna (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) is the highest-rated filly on the classification at 116. Trained by Michael Bell for Bill and Tim Gredley, Pretty Pollyanna won Newmarket's G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. before shipping to France to take the G1 Prix Morny. Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy) and Signora Cabello (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) are the next highest-rated fillies at 114.
'TDN Rising Star' Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) is France's highest-rated 2-year-old of 2018 with a mark of 114, and one of three French-trained colts included in the classification. Trained by Andre Fabre, he won maiden and conditions races in France for Ballymore Thoroughbreds before shipping to Newmarket to win the G3 Autumn S. over next-out G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy S. winner Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who is rated 113. Godolphin bought half of Persian King earlier this month.
Overall, 44 juveniles achieved a rating of 110 or above in 2018, which is slightly down historically, with the average since 2010 sitting at 47. There was an even split between British and Irish-trained horses at 20 each. That continues the trend of increasing depth in Ireland and this year's total is bettered only by 21 Irish juveniles in 2011.
Click here for the complete 2-year-old classifications.
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