Too Close The Sun lands Warrnambool Cup.
The Lindsey Smith-trained Too Close The Sun (4 g ex Old Money by Old Spice) led from pillar to post to win the Warrnambool Cup (Listed, 2350m) on Wednesday and in the process became the first stakes winner for former Darley stallion Carlton House (Street Cry).
After jumping cleanly from the barriers, the gelding was sent straight to the front by Declan Bates, which is where they stayed, hitting the line well to beat Mirimar (Kalanisi) by a length. Sin To Win (Sir Percy) was the same distance back in third.
Smith opened stables at Warrnambool racecourse last May after Darren Weir, who trained five-consecutive Warrnambool Cup winners from 2014 to 2018, had been disqualified in February 2019.
"It's also good to win like this locally and we keep the money here locally," Smith said.
Too Close The Sun may now head to the Andrew Ramsden Stakes (Listed, 2800m) at Flemington on May 16. The winner of the Andrew Ramsden is granted ballot exemption from the 2020 Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m).
"This is an up-and-coming horse and even stronger than he was six months ago," Smith said.
Too Close The Sun is out of 2000 WATC Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Old Money (Old Spice), making him a half-brother to 2018 Mackinnon Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) scorer Trap For Fools (Poet's Voice).
Old Money herself is a sister to Group 2 winner Old Cobber, while she also counts winning mare Moonfire (Geiger Counter) - the dam of Listed winner Moonlight Bay (Catbird) - as her half-sibling.
Further back this is family of elite level winner Linc The Leopard (Balmerino), Group 3 winner Sportsbeat (Al Khawaaneeg) and Listed scorer Queenza (King Of Kings).
Following her win in the WATC Derby, Old Money was sold to American interests and she won twice in the country and was also placed third Buena Vista Stakes (Gr 3, 8f). The mare died in 2016.
Trained in Britain by Sir Michael Stoute and raced by The Queen, Carlton House won the Dante Stakes (Gr 2, 1m2f) and Brigadier Gerard Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f) in 2011 and he also finished third in the Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) and second in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) that same year.
He was transferred to Gai Waterhouse's stable for whom he finished second in the Parramatta Cup (Listed, 1900m) and Ranvet Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m), while he also posted a third place finish in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) at Randwick in 2014.
Bred by Darley, Carlton House retired to stand at the operation's Kelvinside base in the Hunter Valley where he only covered two books of mares after struggling with fertility.
