Gosden rules Too Darn Hot out of Derby and opts for Ascot after Dante defeat

The step up to the Dante trip proved just too darn far for Too Darn Hot on the Knavesmire on Thursday and the one-time Derby favourite will now sidestep Epsom and revert to a mile for the St James's Palace Stakes following his defeat by Telecaster.

Europe's champion two-year-old had kept his public waiting in 2019, his first appearance delayed by a minor setback that ruled him out of the Greenham Stakes and then the 2,000 Guineas – for which he had been hot favourite throughout the winter.

He was upped to a mile and two and a half furlongs at York with a view to a belated Classic bid in the Investec Derby and excited officials even got the jazz band to sing his song.

But the equine Too Darn Hot ran out of puff. Proven over a mile in his excellent juvenile campaign, the Champagne Stakes and Dewhurst winner was hard to settle as he raced exuberantly in the early stages of his first run for seven months.

Frankie Dettori got him close enough to challenge over a furlong out but his mount could make no further impression in the final 220 yards and the jockey accepted the inevitable, easing him close home.

"He's got too much pace for the Derby – back to a mile," Dettori said. "He was fresh, pulled very hard in the first four and he didn't finish.

"I made the ground up but the last furlong was a long way for him, bless him. He's blessed with natural speed so we're going back to a mile."

John Gosden has already identified the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes on the first day of Royal Ascot as the new target for the son of Dubawi, who was suffering the first defeat of his career.

"We were here for a trial," said the trainer. "Do we run in the Derby or the St James's Palace? The answer is we'll freshen up and go to Royal Ascot for the St James's Palace.

"He's run a very solid race. It's quite simply a matter of stamina. If you're going to go to a Derby I don't want to turn up playing around, I want to come to a proper trial and I'm happy with that."

Too Darn Hot could have another crack in York's Juddmonte International, run over the Dante trip in August.

"I'm delighted with him and he might get a mile and a quarter later in the year but not fresh off a layoff," Gosden said. "You're vulnerable off a layoff. He had two weeks walking, not even training.

"Stamina in the last furlong was telling. The winner has seen the trip out well, he'll get supplemented for the Derby. We came here for a trial and we have the answer very clearly."

Investec Derby card and betting

Surfman, who was four lengths further back in third, and five lengths behind the winner Telecaster, could just head to Epsom.

Trainer Roger Varian said: "There was a lot of encouragement to take from the run. It was a messy race – they went a good pace and we wanted to relax and teach Surfman as he’s inexperienced. He made up a lot of ground and it was his first run in a proper race.

"Hindsight will tell us it was a good run. We’re disappointed not to win and he’s going to be a nice horse. I think he'll stay a mile and a half and I wouldn’t rule out running him in the Derby.

"He’s a beautiful horse – this was a Derby trial and, although we didn’t win it, I wouldn’t write him off. We’ll see how he comes out of it and make a plan."

Aidan O'Brien has a plethora of Epsom contenders and Japan could join them after finishing fourth.

"It’s possible he could go for the Derby and he’s still in the picture," the trainer said. "We came here to get a run into him and he stayed on well at the finish. We’ll leave it until closer to the time before making a decision."

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