Lord Lloyd Webber’s decision to back the first crop of Australian yearlings by his former star racehorse Too Darn Hot reaped an immediate reward when Too Darn Lizzie won Saturday’s The Fillies Debut at the Gold Coast.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained filly was a $1 million purchase at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
She was bought by English bloodstock agent Johnny McKeever on behalf of the legendary composer and Bott said it was great to get an early result.
“He raced the stallion and paid $1 million for her and it is great that he supports the stable,” Bott said of Lord Lloyd Webber, who races the horse with Lizzie Spender.
“It’s obviously always a little bit nervous getting them to the track for the first time, but the quality showed through there late.”
Too Darn Lizzie showed slick early speed under Tim Clark to lead and looked to be in trouble when the hot favourite raced awkwardly around the turn but balanced up in the straight to race away from her rivals in the final furlong and score a 1-1/2-length win.
Froebel Star finished second, a neck clear of the winner’s stablemate Dominetta.
Too Darn Lizzie’s win came after just one trial, which convinced Bott to start thinking about returning to Sydney and having a crack at some Group races in the lead-up to the Golden Slipper.
“She showed good, sustained speed at the only trial and there was a lot of upside off the back of today and I think it will do her the world of good,” Bott said.
“We’ll take her back to Sydney now and find some of those nice feature lead-ups and get some black-type for her.”
The Fillies Debut was one of two $500,000 races for first-starters at the Gold Coast on Saturday with the other, The Colts & Geldings Debut, going to the Chris Anderson-trained Lead Me On.
The son of Brutal was initially passed in at the sales, but later sold for $50,000, and carried Michael Rodd to a three-quarters-of-a-length win from Heavenly Impact with The Hamo half-a-length away third.