Stepping up to the 2270m at just his second start off the back of a debut third, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s 3yo Too Darn Hot (GB) gelding Cold Shower has Derby runner written all over him after pulling clear to break his maiden at Geelong in style.
Having made his debut recently with a pleasing third over 2000m, the Jett Stanely ridden gelding jumped away the favourite in the field of eight, settling in third position on the rail.
Fiorente (IRE) gelding Winter Arc went forward to take up the running as Castelvecchio colt Prestige Rocky sat handy in second, with Cold Shower getting the run of the race some six lengths from the leader in third.
With the Winter Arc rolling along in the lead, Stanley always appeared confident in the run as he started to make up some ground passing the 800m mark.
Presenting three wide as the field turned for home, Cold Shower showed superior staying prowess, pulling away from the field as he liked, eased down to score by two and a quarter lengths.
Having done plenty of work aboard Cold Shower, jockey Jett Stanley was impressed with the winning performance.
Geelong Race 1 | Cold Shower "Gave them the cold shoulder!" @stanley_jett @GaiWaterhouse1 ?? Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app REPLAYS: https://t.co/HEhdpozFmy https://t.co/3Y1i3SnbNJ
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 7, 2026
“We're in the right stable with fit a horse and he's such a cool calm character and you can see him in the mounting yard just standing there and he just takes it all in," said Stanley. “He's a true stayer, there's no doubt about that."
“He's always a touch slow away and you have to kind of use him up a little bit early. I saw Jake Noonan and Tommy Madden coming across quite quickly and I just allowed that to happen.
“He's a horse where if I want him to go, he'll go. If I want him to come back, he'll switch off beautifully. He's a sweetheart and fortunately enough there was good, genuine tempo and we were able to just sit behind the speed, stalk them and I didn't want to give the others too much of a time to catch up to them.
“He's a horse where I know he's so fit that he'll be able to outstay him no matter what, so I put the pressure on a little bit early from the 600 and really increased it upwards and he just was so solid to the line.
“He was still floating a little bit late. still learning his craft but that was only his second start so he's just going to go on in leaps and bounds for that and hopefully towards the Derby.
“To be honest probably one of my favourite rides so I rate him a lot, just the way he's able to switch himself off and switch himself on.
“He was able to just really grind to the line, really find underneath me once I was able to ask for top effort.
When asked if a VRC Derby was within his reach, Stanley felt so.
“Yeah, absolutely. Obviously, he'll have another run, and I think he’s coming back here as well to the Prelude and hopefully he can show us what he's got in.
“As I said, he'll come on leaps and bounds again after this run and hopefully he can put his best foot forward there and hopefully he can have that dream.”
Cold Shower was purchased for $650,000 from the Inglis Easter yearling sale draft of Widden Stud by his trainers and Bruce Slade’s Kestrel Thoroughbreds.
The first runner, and winner out of the So You Think (NZ) mare Seracena, a half-sister to G1 VRC Derby (2500m) and G1 SAJC Derby (2500m) winner Rebel Raider and G3 Norman Robinson Stakes (2000m) winner Shamoline Warrior, there is no reason to think that Cold Shower will not relish the 2500m of this year’s G1 VRC Derby if he can continue on his upward spiral.
Having not trained a winner of the G1 VRC Derby as a partnership as yet, it has been 30 years since the Waterhouse trained Nothin’ Leica Dane defeated Octagonal to win the 1995 Derby before going on to run a gallant second to Doriemus (NZ) in the G1 VRC Melbourne Cup (3200m) just a few days later.
Seracena foaled a fully brother to Cold Shower the following season before producing a filly from the first crop of Brazen Beau’s G3 winner General Beau.
Consigned through the draft of Newington Farm (As Agent for Hesket Thoroughbreds Unreserved Reduction Sale) at the 2026 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, Seracena was knocked down to Cork Elite Bloodstock $25,000 carrying a positive to Coolmore’s multiple G1 winner City of Troy (USA).
The sire of 38 international stakes winners highlighted by eight individual G1 winners including local elite level scorers Broadsiding and Tropicus, Darley shuttler Too Darn Hot is currently covering his sixth southern hemisphere books of mares, standing for a fee of $275,000 (inc. GST).
A multiple G1-winning son of Champion sire Dubawi, Too Darn Hot will be represented by a host of stakes runners this coming Saturday in Australia including Too Darn Discreet in the G1 MRC Toorak Handicap as well as Toronado Valley and Somethings Burnin’ in the G1 MRC Caulfield Guineas.
