Arduous

The Sire: ALL TOO HARD  

The Australian Champion 3yo colt of 2012/13. He was voted second to his half-sister Black Caviar in Horse Of The Year honours that same year. He was also internationally recognised & rated the equal highest 3yo colt in the world – World Thoroughbred Rankings (Jan 2013).

“He’s right up there with the best I’ve ever trained,” trainer John Hawkes stated. “A serious horse and is in the same class as Lonhro. He’s an absolute athlete and he’s got the family, the pedigree and a big heart.”

His first crop hit the racetrack in 2015/16 and proved themselves as serious 2yo’s and making All Too Hard the equal Champion First Season Sire by winners. In 2018 he was the Leading Second Season Sire by winners. He had sired more winners as a Second Season Sire (75) than all bar Northern Meteor from the previous 13 year’s worth of Second Season Sire records. And in 2018/19 he had more 2yo winners (11) than horses such as Lonhro, Dundeel, Zoustar, Stratum, Brazen Beau, Nicconi, Smart Missile, Redoute’s Choice, Dissident, Written Tycoon and Medaglia d’Oro.

All Too Hard’s 2019/20 season had been his best so far, thanks to his 10 Stakes winners during the season and his superstar Group 1 winning son ALLIGATOR BLOOD, who earned over $2.8million. He finished the season in the Top 10 Sires by Winners with 110 and earnings of almost $8.6million.

The 2020/21 season started with a bang when consistent son BEHEMOTH took out the first Gr.1 of the season (the 1400m Memsie S.) and then backed up to set a weight-carrying record by carting 60kg’s to victory in the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. Behemoth then took his earnings to over $2million by booking a run in The Everest.

In 2022 two of his other elite performers, WELLINGTON and FORBIDDEN LOVE have come out and added a second Group 1 win to each of their names while BEHEMOTH added a third Group 1 win.

Trainers constantly rate All Too Hard’s as being tough, trainable and having excellent temperaments. All Too Hard is sitting in the Top 10 Active Australian Sires by earnings, winners, wins, Stakes winners & Stakes wins.

All Too Hard has sired 48 Stakes performers with over $51.5million in earnings from only 6 crops of racing age and already has a high 66% winners to runners strike rate. 

The Dam: MERIDIAN STAR

The Dam Meridian Star is by golden slipper winner Stratum. She was a winner at 1200m and won 4 races overall including one as a 2YO. She is closely related to multiple Group winner, TICKET TO ROME (3rd dam), TRULY WICKED who produced 7 winners including Grp1 winner AMBER LIGHT. This breeding cross has produced 3-time Group 1 winner WELLINGTON and 2-time Group 1 winner SACRED STAR.

Trainer: GAI WATERHOUSE & ADRIAN BOTT

Gai & Adrian have gone on to achieve as much as humanly possible with racehorses. While many would rest on their laurels after such success, Gai simply wants to win more and more. Owners can rest assured that the Lady Trainer wants to win races just as much if not more than they do! Confirmation of this dedication to excellence came after just fifteen years of training. Gai was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame (2007). As we stand, in just over 20 years of training, Gai has amassed over 135 Group One wins. Currently sits third on the all-time list (Group One winners) behind T.J. Smith and Bart Cummings.

By far Gai’s greatest achievements have been recorded in the best races of the year in both Melbourne and Sydney. Gai has won Sydney’s two best races, the Golden Slipper and Doncaster Handicap six and seven times respectively. Gai is by far the most successful trainer ever in the Sydney Spring. ‘Make hay while the sun shines’ is a phrase one often can hear Gai quoting. This attitude is reflected by Gai’s results in the best races contested during the Sydney Spring Carnival. The Flight Stakes (7 wins), the Epsom Handicap (7 wins) and the Metropolitan Handicap (8 wins) have become races at the mercy of Gai each and every year.

Gai & Adrian give each and every horse that comes into their care every possible chance to succeed. Only six horses in the history of Sydney racing have won the two-year-old Triple Crown. Gai has trained two of them (Dance Hero 2004 and Pierro 2012). Gai in fact has won more Group One races for two-year-olds than any other trainer.

NOMINATIONS AND BONUS SCHEMES

Eligible for the lucrative BOBS Silver Bonus Scheme, $3.5 million Golden Slipper, $1 million Golden Rose, Blue Diamond & Blue Sapphire and the $3.5 million Inglis Race Series.