Second on debut behind Snitzel’s $2.8m yearling The Next Episode, 2yo Too Darn Hot (GB) colt Under Focus clearly took plenty of improvement from that effort, breaking his maiden over 1100m on the Kensington track for Yulong at just his second start.
Jumping away from barrier eight in the ten-horse field, the Tyler Schiller ridden colt didn’t have the early pace, but once the field started to work out their positions, the colt went forward to settle in second behind Mount Atlas (Tassort) with Godolphin’s Portico (Exceed And Excel) tracking wide on debut.
With Mount Atlas leading the field into the home straight, Under Focus quickly got the better of the leader and while the race favourite Drumfire (Farnan) was working between runners to chase the leader, the bird had flown as Under Focus pulled away to break his maiden and win by a length and a half.
Having missed in the first of the day where he saddled up the favourite She’s Extra who finished second, trainer Kris Lees saddled up a pair of runners in the third of the day and was impressed with the performance of the colt.
“There was a bit of trial form and some exposed racehorses in the race, so it was a good effort,” enthused Lees.
When asked if he had a plan on where he wanted the colt to settle in the run, Lees was keen to take a sit.
“I think just with a trail that was our plan, but you know there's a first two leaders at one so there's a bit of urgency in the first 400 or 500 metres, so he had to roll with them, but he eventually got into a nice enough position, and so he's done it both ends.
As for where he might head, Lees would chat to the connections before any decision was made.
“We'll see how he pulls up, and we'll speak to the Yulong team, but they've got a really nice horse going forward.”
Purchased by YLP Racing from the HP Thoroughbreds draft at the Inglis Easter yearling sale for $300,000, Under Focus is one of two winners from two to the races out of the Fastnet Rock mare Under Lights, a full-sister to the G3 placed Condor, both out of the stakes placed Johannesburg mare Ronan’s Bay (USA).
The sire of 33 stakes winner headed by five individual G1 winners including recent Oakleigh Plate winner Tropicus and multiple G1 winner Broadsiding, Too Darn Hot is the sire of four juvenile winners so far this season in Australia from 12 runners highlighted by G3 Maribyrnong Plate winner Tornado Valley and G3 Breeders’ Plate winner Shiki and come this Saturday will be represented by the Chris Waller trained Somethings Burnin' in the G3 Baillieu (1400m) at Rosehill.
Having covered an impressive book of mares last season at a fee of $275,000 (inc. GST), the Darley shuttler will be represented by 14 catalogued lots at the upcoming Inglis Easter yearling sale highlighted by Widden Stud’s Lot 228, the full sister to G2 winner Too Darn Lizzie, who was sold at last year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale for $2.4m to Ciaron Maher.
