Pakenham trainer Kevin Daffy pulled off a plunge at his home track on Thursday when All Too Hard mare Oh Too Good won Heat 9 of the Sportsbet Future Stars Series (1200m).
Oh Too Good was backed from $41 into $10 and she stormed home to salute the judge by a half-length from the favourite Miss Cardannic (Street Boss). It was a belated debut for the 4yo mare who had been held back by a stress-fracture to her humerus.
It was also a career-first for Daffy. “I trained a couple last year but she’s the first winner I’ve had that’s been here from the very start. We didn’t miss the opening price, either, so it’s turned out quite okay.
“We had faith in her but it’s always a different story to actually do it. We threw her in at the deep end and she’s made us very proud.”
Oh Too Good is owned by Kevin’s wife Christine and long-time friends Rick and Brett Bayliss after they bought her out of a paddock at Gilgai Farm. Vinery sire All Too Hard was also bred and raised at the celebrated Nagambie nursery by Rick Jamieson.
She’s the first foal out of Good Oh (Duporth) who also won on debut for trainer Michael Kent at Sandown Lakeside in 2017. Second-dam Zelsnitz (Snitzel) had won a MRC Twilight Glow Stakes (LR, 1400m) for Peter Moody at Sandown Hillside in 2010.
Winning jockey Carleen Hefel has a soft spot for Oh Too Good having ridden the mare since she was broken-in by Julien Welsh three years ago. “It’s pretty special and sort of a full circle. She had her little quirks as a young horse before maturing into a really nice mare.
“She’s very competitive but is still doing it without really knowing what’s going on. I just had to wake her up a few times coming into the straight. She’s going to furnish into a nice horse when she puts it all together.”
Oh Too Good’s owners are hoping that’s exactly what happens in the $300,000 Future Stars Final (1400m) at Pakenham on February 29.
All Too Hard has 8 yearlings entered for the Inglis Premier Sale next month and his Melbourne connection includes the filly from Granada Star (Lot 261) from Gilgai Farm. Her dam is a Starcraft (NZ) full-sister to Celebrity Girl who won a Cap d’Antibes Stakes (LR, 1100m) at Flemington.
Vinery (as agent) is sending down two All Too Hard colts to Oaklands Junction starting with the colt from The Bride (Lot 13). The dam is a More Than Ready (USA) full-sister to 2015 South African Champion 2YO Filly Entisaar.
The colt out of Kotys (Lot 336) is the first foal of another mare by Vinery legend More Than Ready from MRC Thousand Guineas Prelude (Gr.3, 1400m) winner Afleet Esprit.
All Too Hard has all the angles covered following a perfect clearance-rate at last month’s Magic Millions when his draft averaged $158,000. As a damsire, there were 8 yearlings from his daughters in Book 1 at the Gold Coast and they averaged $290,000.
All Too Hard is also a winning sire of sires through his son Villermont. The 2017 Sandown Guineas (Gr.2, 1600m) winner got off the mark on Australia Day when Villasaurus streeted a 3yo maiden field in the Graeme White Plate (1400m) at Wagga.
