The man for the big occasion delivered once again as racing legend Frankie Dettori steered even-money favourite Too Darn Hot to victory in the £1,059,250 Gr1 Qatar Sussex Stakes over a mile at Goodwood on Wednesday.
Trained by John Gosden, the three-year-old son of Dubawi tracked the pace in the early stages of the mile contest and displayed a potent turn of foot in the closing stages to master the Aidan O’Brien-trained Circus Maximus (9/2) by a half-length.
Dettori has ridden 11 G1 winners in 62 days (since May 31) and this was Too Darn Hot’s second G1 victory in succession following his success in the G1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville earlier this month.
Dettori and Newmarket trainer Gosden have enjoyed a spellbinding summer, characterised by victories in the last five days from Enable (G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes), Stradivarius (G1 Qatar Goodwood Cup) and Too Darn Hot’s win on Wednesday.
Dettori’s 11 G1 victories this year have come in the G1 Investec Oaks, G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, G1 Gold Cup, G1 Commonwealth Cup, G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, G1 Coral-Eclipse, G1 Prix Jean Prat, G1 Irish Oaks, G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes, G1 Qatar Goodwood Cup, G1 Sussex Stakes.
The 48-year-old rider said: “Too Darn Hot is very good. We had a smooth run to this race and his homework has been good, but my god he has so much speed – I can’t feel my arms at the moment! He is just blessed with so much natural speed.
“He had a good run at this race today. He had been working well in the build-up to the race and we had him in the best shape we could have him.
“It was great to reverse the form of Ascot and the race worked out how we wanted. They tried to stretch my stamina today, but I just had too many guns for them.
“Too Darn Hot got the big one today that he really deserved. He has been unlucky for various reasons this year, but now he has showed his true colours and we are delighted.
“He is a wonderful horse with a wonderful pedigree and deserved a proper G1, which we all thought he had in him. I am so lucky that I work for Clarehaven [Stables]. We have an amazing team, it is a pleasurable place to work, and amazing horses trained by a genius of a trainer.
“He has a lot of pace and a Breeders’ Cup Mile would be idea, with a fast two turns. I am sure that it could be the end of season target.
“It’s not just G1’s – to look at the list of G1’s that I have won [this year], they are absolutely amazing, mammoth races. King Georges, Eclipses and Gold Cups – they are proper G1’s. I have had an amazing summer and long may it continue. Mr Gosden is the genius – he puts it on the plate for me and I am doing the rest.
“I was waiting for Too Darn Hot to come into the paddock and I said to John: “I will probably need a heart transplant by the end of the week!” He told me to shut up and that I loved it – maybe he is right.
“This is probably the best year I’ve had. I cannot say enough thanks to John Gosden. He is an amazing trainer with an amazing team and long may it continue.”
