Too Darn Fast

by Kristen Manning

Arabian Summer might be small, in fact it is the first thing mentioned by everyone associated with the filly who around the sales company's office is known as “the Magic Millions pin-up girl,” but here's the thing... she doesn't know it.

She doesn't act like her rivals have any advantage on her and she sure doesn't race like it; her three wins and two seconds from her first six starts testament to that.

Her lack of stature didn't hold her back as a foal, nor as a yearling when she made her way through Book 2 as lot 1167 on Monday January 16, 2023. Amongst the last 100 selling in a big week, she may not have been the largest and flashiest of the yearlings on offer but there were a number of good judges on the daughter of the highly regarded young stallion Too Darn Hot.

Including the Tony & Calvin McEvoy stable with the latter leading his father over to see the diminutive but still impressive filly.

With Book 1 of the Magic Millions sale offering plenty of choices, it has not been often that the McEvoys have inspected horses in Book 2.

"There are always so many horses, we've just never really had the need," Calvin said, noting that they have always been able to fill their orders in the first days of the sale.

But 2023 was a little different with Coolmore Stud's Racing and Bloodstock Manager John Kennedy getting into Calvin's ear.

A MUCH APPRECIATED TIP-OFF

"He said he had a tip-off for me, that Coolmore had a lovely filly in Book 2 who I ought to have a look at."

Calvin admits to being a little unconvinced but he agreed to have a look, making his way over to the filly's stall.

"And I'm glad I did!"

For what he saw he liked straight away, the member of the first Australian crop of Dubawi's multiple Group 1 winning son Too Darn Hot immediately catching the eye.

"This was a filly with a great walk, something which is really important to us, and powerful hindquarters. She walked with a lot of purpose and ticked all the boxes."

"The only slight issue was that she was on the small side," he recalled.

John Kennedy remembers the day well, having always been a fan of the filly who was a late entry for the sale.

"We were tossing up whether to sell her in January or wait for a later sale but we decided with Tim Stakemire (the breeder’s representative) that she'd be a shining star in Book 2 and that she would probably sell very well."

"And she really blossomed through her preparation. She was always on people's radars when they came to inspect the yearlings at the farm, everyone liked her."

"Calvin and I have been friends for a long time so I told him that there was this filly who was pretty forward, who looked the type to get up and going early."

Fast forward twelve months and John enjoyed watching the McEvoy team purchase, for $475,000, Arabian Summer's half-sister by Coolmore stallion Wootton Bassett at the 2024 Magic Millions.

"It was great to see things come full circle," he said, adding that "it was pretty exciting as we were selling that filly on the Friday whilst looking forward to cheering on her half-sister in the Magic Millions the next day." ➤

Teaming up with McEvoy Mitchell Racing to buy both fillies was Belmont Bloodstock's Damon Gabbedy who shares Calvin's memories of Arabian Summer as a yearling.

"She was not big," he reiterated, "but she was just a fantastic walker."

"She had a really deep girth and was a strong little muscle ball type of filly with a great attitude."

"We really wanted to get a Too Darn Hot and we were underbidders on another who turned out to be Too Darn Lizzie (winner of the 1000 Guineas Prelude-Gr.2, 1400m)."

"Arabian Summer has turned out to be a little ripper and her owners are having a lot of fun with her," he said, adding that her position in Book 2 of the sale didn't faze him; "a good horse will sell anywhere, people will find them."

It took $220,000 to secure Arabian Summer, putting her in the top four lots sold through Book 2. It was a good result for her breeder Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum who is represented in Australia by Tim Stakemire.

JUST A BIT SMALL

"A nice, neat, tidy filly who was just a bit small," is how Stakemire described Arabian Summer as a foal.

"She didn't grow a great deal leading into the sales and we did wonder if we'd race or sell her but we decided to put her in and when Tony McEvoy asked us if we'd like to remain in the ownership we were happy to."

"We always like to be part of the careers of the nicely bred fillies and her dam Maraam has been very good to us."

"We did pay a lot of money for her (Maraam), but she is paying us back."

It was in 2014 that Maraam, a daughter of Street Cry from the prolific Easy Date family, caught the eye and it took $1.05 million to secure her. She didn't manage to win anywhere near that amount on the track but she had her share of ability winning three races including a couple at metropolitan level; not disgraced contesting stakes races at her last couple of starts under the care of Peter and Paul Snowden.

At stud she is proving to be a good investment, her first foal by Fastnet Rock selling for $575,000 whilst her second by Rubick was a $220,000 yearling. Arabian Summer also fetched that amount with the first of her two by Wootton Bassett commanding $475,000.

"She is a lovely, big, scopey mare," Tim said of Maraam, "a good looking mare who throws great types."

Such as Arabian Summer who Stakemire describes as "a pocket rocket," one whose career he and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum are enjoying; the latter from afar.

"I speak to him daily and let him know when his horses are running as he likes to watch them live when he can, otherwise he will watch a replay soon after."

"He loves his horses and I love working for him," Tim said, reflecting on a 28 year working relationship that kicked off with another breed of horse.

"I was playing polo in Dubai and he was presenting the prizes. At that stage I thought I'd gone as far as I could go with polo and in conversation with him he suggested I have a try at endurance racing."

Establishing a leading stable, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum rode with Stakemire who looks happily back at those times; "we had a lot of fun," he said.

With his family involvement, it looked only a matter of time until Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum moved over to thoroughbreds.

Several very good horses have raced in his well known silks (yellow with a dark blue V) including the dual Group 1 winning two-year-old Pride Of Dubai who is now doing his breeder proud siring such tough mares as Bella Nipotina, Pride Of Jenni and Deny Knowledge.

Much of the joy Stakemire feels when watching these horses compete so well is felt on behalf of his employer who he describes as "such a ➤ lovely, lovely man, a kind-heated, kind-souled man who has been like a second father to me."

Tim and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum share the ownership of Arabian Summer with an enthusiastic group of owners including Mystery Downs' Frank and Christine Cook in whose maroon, white and gold colours she races.

IT'S NOT WAR AND PEACE!

It was Arabian Summer's breeding that had first caught Frank's eye, that keen student of pedigrees always excited when the sales catalogue arrives.

"That's the start of all the hard work," he said whilst Christine joked that when her husband first started to dig into catalogues she was not sure what he was doing.

"Frank has never been a big reader but he kept disappearing for hours, I thought he was getting into War And Peace but it turns out he was studying catalogues!"

"The thrill of the chase" is how Frank describes the yearling sales, he loves the process of making a list, showing it to Christine and then spending days inspecting the yearlings and hoping that the right ones end up in their stable.

Fortunately Arabian Summer did - though it did not look that way at first with the Cooks teaming with trainers John O'Shea and Tom Charlton to bid.

"We'd sent our VRC Oaks-Gr.1, 2500m winner Lasqueti Spirit (another talented Magic Millions graduate) to Too Darn Hot so I'd done my research on him," Frank recalled. "I knew that he was not a big horse but well put together and I had that in mind when I saw her."

And what were his first impressions of Arabian Summer?

"She was a small but perfectly formed object."

"She had a great shoulder and a great action. She was definitely one we didn't want to let go."

But at first, with John O'Shea dropping out of the bidding, it appeared that they had missed out.

"We have a great relationship with John," Christine said, "so we asked him if he'd mind if we approached Tony McEvoy to see if we could buy a share and he said 'go for it!'"

Whilst Arabian Summer hit the ground running, it has not all been smooth sailing with a trip to Adelaide last winter coming unstuck when she put her leg through the barriers, forcing her late scratching.

"She had been in the gates for a while," Christine explained, "and a horse next to her reared and made a noise; she stuck her leg through the gate and had puncture marks on both sides of her fetlock."

Christine and Frank spent an hour with their filly as she underwent treatment on course, Frank remembering the vet trying to get the sedative dose right for the smaller than average filly.

"I remember they were rubbing her ears trying to keep her awake," Frank said. "The vet did a great job with her."

Arabian Summer is just one of a number of classy horses raced by the Cooks who have cheered on a Melbourne Cup-Gr.1, 3200m winner in Gold Trip and several other Group 1 horses such as Lasqueti Spirit, Unforgotten, Preferment, Zougotcha, Foreteller and Fierce Impact.

Christine has been active in promoting the Magic Millions Racing Women's initiative, racing the likes of Foxplay and Madame Pommery with all female owned syndicates.

The couple's passion for racing was sparked by meeting a trainer at a friend's 40th birthday party. The idea of racing a horse appealed and they had that lovely beginner's luck with their first horse Warning Siren winning, at debut - and on protest (apt considering her name) - the Gimcrack StakesLR, 1000m.

Racing itself was not new to Frank who has fond childhood memories of "sitting around the table with my father and my brothers listening to the races on the radio and betting with match sticks."

ARABIAN SUMMER DEBUTS

On the back of good jump-out form, Arabian Summer faced the starter for the first time, in the Debutant Stakes-Listed, 1000m at Caulfield in October 2023. She ran into a smart one, fellow Magic Millions graduate Coleman, but after showing enough speed to lead she fought on gamely and there was a sizeable gap to the next horse home.

She again showed that pace when contesting the Ottawa Stakes-Gr.3, 1000m down the Flemington straight on Oaks Day and again she ran into another nice Magic Millions sales horse, the $1.1 million dollar filly Eneeza; beating home the subsequent Blue Diamond Stakes-Gr.1, 1200m winner Hayasugi with another game second.

The Ballarat Magic Millions 2YO Classic in early December was next on her agenda and she really put on display her speed, straightening two lengths clear of her rivals and racing clear to an easy 3 1/2 length victory.

"She really impressed me," Tony McEvoy said on the day, describing her as "so professional."

Jockey Harry Coffey was also taken by the style of her victory, noting that "she was very quick, moved well throughout and let down nicely."

A month later she was back at the Gold Coast, this time taking a sit in the Gold Pearl, taking over with 200m to go, putting 2 1/4 lengths on her rivals.

She again gave her rider a good feel and he was able to tell the media that "my job was pretty easy today."

"Luckily I've been able to be with her at every one of her starts and she has run superbly every time. She is the ultimate professional, she does things right."

The ease of those two wins saw Arabian Summer well fancied in the $3 million The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic-RL, 1200m, in the race won by Storm Boy finishing a game fifth after again doing the early work.

Given a break in the sunshine state, she showed that she was well and truly back on track when recording an impressive win, really finding when asked for an effort with 300m to go, in the inaugural $1 million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic at Doomben in late May.

"She was very tough today," Harry enthused, "she is a credit to everyone involved with her."

"It is pretty awesome to be associated with her and I'm really thankful to the connections and also Tony and Calvin for having faith in me."

"She didn't have the easiest of runs. I was a bit exposed out wide but I got a nice cart around the bend and she let down well."

That win, her third from her first six starts, took her prizemoney tally to beyond $960,000 and she earned herself the position of the first confirmed runner in the new Magic Millions slot race for three-year-olds to be held under lights at the Gold Coast on January 4.

The $3 million TAB Magic Millions Sunlight, 1100m, would be an apt race for Arabian Summer to win, she being a member of the same Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable as that wonderful Magic Millions graduate; winner of the 2018 Magic Millions 2YO Classic and three Group 1 races. ➤

“She may be small but she is strong through the chest and with her attitude, she makes my job easy.”

And it would be another feature win for Harry Coffey who put himself in the headlines this season recording a memorable victory on the Ciaron Maher trained imported galloper Duke De Sessa in the Caulfield Cup-Gr.1, 2400m.

THE DARING AND MASTERFUL HARRY COFFEY

After a ride that was described by media as "daring" and "masterful," Harry was welcomed back to scale by a delighted crowd fully appreciative of the amazing story that is Harry Coffey. At just six weeks of age diagnosed with the debilitating condition cystic fibrosis, Harry did not have the easiest of childhoods but it is, he said "all I have ever known."

"It's not like I was well and look back and think about the days when I felt better and ask 'why me?' - it has just always been my life."

With the considerable support of a tight-knit family including his parents Maree and Austy Coffey (a popular Swan Hill based trainer), Harry was lovingly encouraged to live his life to the full. He played sports, he rode horses. And he became an apprentice jockey.

"It is fair to say," he said, "that if not for cystic fibrosis I would not have become a jockey."

"My brother Sam is a lot taller and heavier than me," he said, explaining that "cystic fibrosis effects weight and growth so not only did it enable me to start my career as a jockey, but it keeps me very light which gives me lots of opportunities."

Inspiring in the ability to appreciate the path he is on, Harry would of course prefer to be healthier even if it meant another career, though with his love of horses it is likely he'd still be involved in some way.

"I'd much prefer not to have cystic fibrosis, I would not wish it on any one," he said.

Whilst he was young his parents lived with the knowledge that Harry's lifespan may not be a full one but recent medical advances have improved not only his life expectancy but also his every day quality of life; a drug called Trikafta being hailed as somewhat of a miracle drug.

It is not a cure but when it works it slows down progression and improves symptoms. And, amazingly, it kicks in almost immediately.

"It was still pretty new as a treatment and it was serious stuff, so I spent a few days in hospital as it was being administered."

"The first day was rough," he said, recalling the experience of his lungs ridding themselves of all that lurked in them.

"I was absolutely exhausted from all the coughing as my body was changing and adapting but I was breathing a whole lot more easily."

The lockdown periods during the heights of COVID were challenging times for Harry whose doctor advising that "if you can hide yourself away, do it!"

"We didn't really know what was happening at the time, it was pretty scary."

But with Harry's ability to see the silver linings in clouds, he made the most of that time; becoming engaged to his girlfriend Tayla, buying a farm at Swan Hill and "re-evaluating what I wanted out of life."

"Dad got a few more horses in to keep us busy so I was riding in the mornings. My brother Sam came home from university so for a while it was just like old times, we were kids again!"

A BETTER RIDER

"I gained clarity from that time and came out of it more settled, more mature. And a better rider."

And now Harry is not only a Group 1 jockey (his first being the 2018 Australasian Oaks-Gr.1, 2005m aboard Sopressa), but also a dad, a role he is thoroughly enjoying; "it is so much fun!" he said.

"My wife does the bulk of the work, she is the heart and soul of parenting. I am away a lot which is tough, I just want to be home with them."

Becoming a dad was another challenge for Harry with cystic fibrosis which effects the reproductive system. Thomas (born in May 2023) being an IVF baby, both of his parents requiring procedures which "were not at all nice!"

But what is nice for Harry is seeing the love poured on his son from his family, taking great pleasure out of seeing his parents doting on their grandson.

And they are enjoying Harry's triumphs on the track, Austy telling the media that "it was a big moment for us, our biggest moment ever in racing, for sure."

Hopefully there are further big moments to come with Harry's association with Arabian Summer. He has been aboard for all six of her starts and is looking forward to seeing what she can do during her Queensland summer campaign.

"She has been a lot of fun," he said, admiring the qualities that see her reserve her energy for the races.

"She is quite unassuming, in fact she is so cruisy that on the way to the gates you wonder if she is going to wake up for the race!"

"But when the gates open she is a different horse." When asked what she is like to ride, Harry replied "she is fast, that's what she's like!"

"She may be small but she is strong through the chest and with her attitude, she makes my job easy."

HOOFNOTE: it is fitting that Arabian Summer has ended up such a good Magic Millions horse. One of the 85 members of Too Darn Hot's debut crop, she hails from the family of the company's first major race winner; Snippets so memorably taking out the inaugural Magic Millions two-yearold race in 1987 by four lengths.