Success Comes All Too Soon

With five new stakes horses in the past month there is a growing groundswell of evidence to suggest Vinery Stud's All Too Hard is working up to something big.

As an Inglis Easter sale-topper and half-brother to the legend Black Caviar, a lot has been expected of All Too Hard from the day he was born and the slow burn of success in his new career at stud may be about to ignite into Group I glory.

All Too Hard already has three stakes-winners on the board this season with Group II winners Villermont and Demonetization as well as Flemington stakes-winner All Too Huiying, but David Payne's promising filly All Too Soon looks ready to up the ante at Rosehill on Saturday in the Group I ATC Vinery Stud Stakes.

Long spoken of by Payne as a potential Oaks filly, the recent form of All Too Soon would certainly vindicate his opinion.

A maiden winner over 1800 metres at Randwick in November before spelling, All Too Soon resumed to win at Kembla and Rosehill over 1400 and 1800 metres before finishing an unlucky half-length second in a Benchmark 82 event against older horses over 1900 metres at Rosehill on March 17.

All Too Soon faces some outstanding fillies at level weights including Group I winners Aloisia and Alizee, but with Tye Angland on board and a step up to 2000 metres, the race will be a great indication of her class and staying ability.

"She is a staying filly and we didn't want to break her heart in those shorter races against the fillies," Payne told Chris Roots of the Sydney Morning Herald.

"We have been able to use the benchmark races to get her here with a solid grounding.

"She is a very good filly and she has always shown that she would need ground. She just keeps getting better and it's the best I have had her but it will need to be because this is best edition of this race I have seen."

All Too Soon was retained to race by her breeder John Cordina, who enjoyed much success with her Group II winning dam Gallant Tess and her stakes-winning half-brother Rock Hero. They were also trained by Payne, so it's a family he knows well.

All Too Hard has been knocking on the door of stakes success in recent weeks with five new stakes horses in the month of March - Za Zi Ba, Hardly Surprising, Cristal Eyes, Fine Scent and Waimea Bay with his full list of stakes horses this season below.