All Too Hard signs off another week of winners at home and abroad with a double-figure draft for this week’s Magic Millions National Yearling Sale.
The Vinery champion is represented by six colts and four fillies from outside studs on the Gold Coast. One of the highlights is the full-brother to Singapore star Hard Too Think (Lot 1745) from Baramul Stud on Wednesday.
Hard Too Think completed a Group 1 double in last year’s Singapore Derby and Queen Elizabeth II Cup and his latest staying campaign continued with an encouraging fourth in the Group 1 Kranji Mile (1600m) on May 21.
“He wants further than a mile but it was a million-dollar race,” trainer Stephen Gray said following a second-up effort that was impeded by a check at the furlong. “We’re reviewing his career here and there has been some talk of him leaving for Australia as there are more options there.”
All Too Hard was popular at last week’s Broodmare Sale when seven of his daughters averaged $141,428. Hard Rock Girl (Lot 737) was top-priced off the track at $360,000 when purchased by Widden Stud and Warringah Thoroughbreds.
Hard Rock Girl was All Too Hard’s 14th Stakes winner in the 2020 Cinderella Stakes (LR, 1050m) at Morphettville. She was bred by Kia Ora Stud and Vinery partner Steve McCann and they kept a share after she made $125,000 at the 2019 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
The Cinderella was run a couple of hours before Alligator Blood landed the first Group 1 for All Too Hard in the Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington. He’s on the comeback trail and was beaten a nose first-up in the BRC Sprint (Gr.3, 1200m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Bookmakers immediately firmed Alligator Blood into $17 for the $1.5million Stradbroke Hcp (Gr.1, 1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 11. “That was huge given he’s been off the scene for a while,” co-trainer Adrian Bott claimed. “He needed a hard hit-out because the aim has always been the Stradbroke.”
All Too Hard had all the other bases covered with seven winners between the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale and Yearling Sale. Hong Kong sprinter My Ecstatic kicked off at Happy Valley on Wednesday evening and his locally-trained 2yo Test The Law was an eye-catching winner at Murray Bridge on Saturday.
My Ecstatic also kicked off a winning treble for leading trainer Frankie Lor at the night meeting in the Class Three Kat O Hoi Hcp (1,650m). “He just keeps going,” Lor said. “It was a small field and he did a good job and the others couldn’t get past him. We tried him over 1600m but the jockey wasn’t smart. Instead of sitting just behind them, he went first.”
My Ecstatic is one of 12 individual winners by All Too Hard in Hong Kong and they have won 40 races. Group 1 sprinter Wellington has helped propel the Vinery stallion into fourth place on the HKJC sires’ table this season with prizemoney the equivalent of AUD 6.2million.
All Too Hard also passed 1,100 career wins during the week when Joy Too All scored first-up at the Sunshine Coast on Friday. It improved her strike-rate to 5 wins in 7 starts for David Vandyke who trained Alligator Blood to that ground-breaking Group 1 in Melbourne.
Arguably the best value-for-money sire in the Hunter Valley, All Too Hard stands for a $38,500 (inc GST) service fee at Vinery this year. For bookings or further information, please contact Adam White (0414 800 918) or Harry Roach (0401 970 006).
