After suffering her first defeat last week when she went down by a nostril in a Raconteur Stakes thriller, star WA filly Hot And High clawed her way back into the winner’s circle in the Listed Belmont Guineas when she reeled off a finishing burst that was simply a class above.
The progeny of her champion sire Too Darn Hot have performed well on the glamorous Royal Ascot stage this week, but here on the other side of the world - on a chilly and gloomy Perth afternoon - Hot And High brought a bit of top shelf sparkle to a what was a fairly mundane afternoon of winter racing!
The Dion Luciani trained filly held favoritism for the Guineas, as a capacity field of sixteen three year olds made their way to the gates.
Luciani had always stated that he believed his gifted charge was a natural miler, and punters were confident he would be proved right.
Hot And High's conqueror in the Raconteur Stakes, Vatican Storm (Playing God) was an easing second favourite, with punters plonking good money late on the Peters Investments owned, up and coming Extreme Choice filly Like Clockwork - a grand daughter of champion racemare Private Steer.
Not without admirers were her stablemate Westbound (Toronado) at 8/1, Prince Of Dala (Snippetson) at 10/1 and Ladies Pro ( D'Argento) at 14/1, the latter looking to improve on her slashing fourth in the G2 WA Guineas back in November last year for trainers Grant and Alana Williams.
150/1 shot Castle Road (Safeguard ) came out of the barriers full bore in his usual fashion and set up a strong speed, with his 200/1 stablemate Pony Up ( Dirty Work) keeping him company in the lead.
The two Paul Jordan trained gallopers set the race up for a genuine test at the 1600m distance. Prince Of Dala with Brad Parnham aboard also rushed forward to ride the speed in third, and A Summer Fling ( Pierro) was prominent down on the rail.
Lanfranco ( Xtravagant) and Westbound settled in for good runs behind the leaders. Lucy Fiore had the favourite midfield, while Like Clockwork and Ladies Pro were even further back, and being pushed along a little to stay in touch as the field began to string out out. Vatican Storm was even further behind and second last.
With 750m to run Castle Road was travelling with ears pricked, Pony Up still at his quarters, Prince Of Dala now being shaken up by Parnham to mount a challenge.
A Summer Fling was still there on the rail in fourth and behind this group Hot And High sat poised between Lanfranco and Westbound. Fiore said go, and the filly began to make her move as the big field wheeled into the Belmont straight!
Castle Road fought on gamely as Like Clockwork speared through on a rails run. Pony Up had seen enough and was passed at the 250m by Prince Of Dala, who then surged to the lead.
Hot And High was coming home hard but Prince Of Dala had plenty to offer! The big chestnut responded well to Parnham's urgings, but the little daughter of Too Darn Hot was showing the great fight which is rapidly becoming her trademark, and she got to Prince Of Dala in the shadows of the post to win by a nose.
First and second had put a space on them in the last 100m with 40/1 shot Herault ( Gingerbread Man) emerging from the chasing pack to grab third.
Trainer Dion Luciani was relieved to see his stable star regain supremacy over her winter rivals.
“It was great, she really dug deep today. Last start, although she was the hot favourite I probably walked away scratching my head a little bit because I’d been so confident” he admitted.
“Then today, I thought she was a little bit under the odds really, because obviously she was fairly beaten last start - but that was the true horse today”.
“For whatever reason, I didn't have her right up to the mark last start but that's the true horse, when she's under pressure she gives, she finds. All the way along we've thought that she is a miler and she proved that today.”
Could a Railway Stakes tilt be on the cards for Hot And High?
“She's definitely a summer horse,” said Luciani.
“Brett ( Fogarty, owner/breeder) and I agreed that if she won today, if she ran a strong mile we'd have a crack at those better races because you don't get many chances to roll the dice, there's a lot of money on offer - you've got to have a crack.”
Jockey Lucy Fiore was supercproud of her filly.
“The speed was really on today, a big change from her last race. I said to Dion and Brett after last start - when we get to the mile, as long as she's got cover, her turn of foot will run them down”.
“Although she is small, you just never doubt her. If there's a run there she will take it. I was pretty confident she had got there today, but after last time I thought, "No, just wait, don't go the early crow!”
“Behind the gates she's so lively. She gives you the feel of a little sprinter, not a miler, but we don't know yet where the limit is with her.”
Hot And High by Darley supersire Too Darn Hot made a swift progression from easily winning her maiden at Northam in late October 2025, to bolting in a midweek race at Belmont, to earning black type on one of Ascot’s biggest days when she scorched the turf to record a scintillating three length demolition of her rivals in the Listed Sir Ernest Lee- Steere Classic (1400m) at just her third race start.
Her Belmont Guineas triumph takes Hot And High's record to 7-6-1-0 for earnings of $338,660.
Group company now beckons.
Hot and High is bred and raced by the renowned breeder Brett Fogarty of Cape Falls Thoroughbreds
She is the third foal, second to race and first winner /stakes winner from the beautifully bred Snitzel daughter High Conviction, a winner of 3 races and unplaced just once in her 6 starts.
High Conviction's unraced 2019 filly Sealpha by Sebring is owned by Jason Cheetham, for whom she has produced a 2024 Shooting To Win colt and is now awaiting a foal by Rommel.
High Conviction's 2021 colt Desert Waves (Pride Of Dubai) shows good promise, winning three of his eight starts to date and placed in another.
Following Hot And High's arrival in 2022 the mare missed to Yes Yes Yes before producing a 2024 filly by Zousain who is named named Sarre Jewel.
High Conviction visited Street Boss at Darley but missed, and is now in foal to his son Traffic Warden.
High Conviction is one of nine named foals from the brilliant Paris Petard (WATC Gimcrack Stakes LR, Belgravia Stakes LR, G3 Sires Produce Stakes) a daughter of Danzig's G1 Dewhurst Stakes winning son Mujahid, whose best progeny was the 4 x G1 winning sprinter Danleigh.
Paris Petard retired from breeding in 2020.
Her daughter Paris Cracker (Viscount) owned by Oakland Park Stud, is dam of the durable stakes winning sprinter miler Saloon Bar (Sessions). Still breeding, Paris Cracker currently awaits a Blue Point foal and has four daughters at stud in WA.
Oakland Park sold Paris Petard as part of a 30-mare dispersal through the 2011 Perth Magic Millions Autumn Sale, and she was picked up for $100,000 by Cape Falls Thoroughbreds.
Cape Falls retain her remaining daughters, the winners Seeking Alpha (Pierro), Parlons (Lonhro) and High Conviction.
Parlon's first foal is a Brazen Beau colt. Seeking Alpha is a winner producer and like her mum she is now in foal to Traffic Warden.
Paris Petard's dam Nitrate was a Newcastle maiden winner producing only three foals, but they were Paris Petard, her half sister by Seignorial, Paris Heart (a good producer), and the handy performer Zentrate (Zentsov Street).
Nitrate by Paris House was a half sister to G1 winner Arkady and multiple stakes producer Arkadina from the Marscay daughter Briscay.
This damline goes back to the taproot mare of family 1-c Mustard, through Fair Duchess GB 1876 who was imported into Australia.
Mustard's dam Morel is also the ancestress of the breed shaping sire Princequillo.
Hot and High is bred
Danzig x 5m,4m
Her dam High Conviction is sex balanced 4f x 5m to Storm Bird, and is also linebred to the Princequillo son Round Table.
A really neat bit of linebreeding in this pedigree involves Too Darn Hot's 5f x 5f cross of Blue Hen Sunbittern - a grand daughter of the great broodmare sire Herbager, who was himself bred x 2 to Firdaussi.
Firdaussi is from the 1-c family of Princequillo and of Hot And High herself.
Too Darn Hot sired the 2026 G2 Karrakatta Plate hero Afireofgidgeecoals, who was then runner up in the WA Sires Produce Stakes.
Like Hot And High, he looks set for bigger things in the next couple of seasons
Darley’s mighty son of Dubawi has two G1 winners so far in 2026 - Tropicus (Oakleigh Plate) and Native Approach ( UAE Al Quoz Sprint).
Too Darn Hot stands at Darley NSW on a fee of $275,000
