Too Darn Hot comes through key workout ahead of Newbury return

Qipco 2,000 Guineas favourite Too Darn Hot sailed through a key workout on the grass in Newmarket on Saturday morning before his intended Classic warm-up in the Group 3 Watership Down Stud Greenham Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.

Generally an even-money chance for the colts' Classic on May 4, Andrew Lloyd Webber's hope was back on turf for the first time since rounding off his unbeaten juvenile campaign in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October.

Watch: Unbeaten colt Too Darn Hot maintains his unbeaten record in the Dewhurst Stakes

Ridden by regular work-rider Maisie Hainey, the son of Dubawi moved up to his very own lead horse Whitlock with his trademark turn of foot at the close of a seven-furlong exercise on the Limekilns round gallop.

Until that exercise, Too Darn Hot had stuck to the all-weather surfaces for his build-up for the Greenham, a contest Gosden won with subsequent 2,000 Guineas runner-up Kingman in 2014.

Too Darn Hot: worked on the grass on Sunday morningCredit: Mark Cranham

Gosden said: "It was nice to get Too Darn Hot back on grass and the round gallop. It was open much earlier than usual – it was riding to perfection.

"I was going to get Frankie [Dettori] in to ride him out, when no doubt he would have gone six lengths clear, but Maisie did all that was needed. It was just routine work, but Too Darn Hot is where we want him to be."

Looking ahead to the weekend Gosden is keeping one eye on the weather, but is hopeful last year's champion two-year-old will be able to run.

The Greenham Stakes will be the next port of call for Too Darn Hot as long as the ground is not heavyCredit: Edward Whitaker

He added: "The plan is to run at Newbury and it's soft at the moment, which would be fine, but what you don't want is it to go heavy as it can get pretty testing down there in those circumstances."

On Friday, the first day of the two-day card at Newbury, Gosden intends running Turgenev in the 1m2f conditions stakes, which he has farmed over the years, winning with Western Hymn (2014), Star Of Seville (2015) and Shutter Speed (2017).

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