Expensive or Value?

Tara Madgwick - Wednesday May 14

Darley certainly didn’t pull any punches when announcing Too Darn Hot (GB) would be returning to Australia this spring at a fee of $275,000, but a close look at the second season sires table shows why this stallion is head and shoulders above his rivals.

Click for the fully interactive sire tables with links to all stallion pages.

Too Darn Hot just ticked over $9million in seasonal earnings, which is nearly $4million more than his nearest rival and has been generated by not just one superstar, but a whole raft of 10 individual stakes-winners among 46 winners.

He leads his peers on earnings, winners and stakes-winners with his 54.8% seasonal winner to runner strike rate the best of any stallion in the Top 50 Australian sires by earnings.

Advertisement

He is also the youngest stallion in the Top 20 by earnings sitting in 17th place.

Too Darn Hot (GB) is due back in Australia this spring, but you'll need deep pockets to go to him.

Below is a table showing the Top 12 second season sires from the table above with their initial service fee and current service fee.

Sire

2020 Fee

2025 Fee

Too Darn Hot (GB)

Darley

$44,000

$275,000

Castelvecchio

Arrowfield

$33,000

$49,500

Blue Point (IRE)

Darley

$44,000

Not coming.

Alabama Express

Yulong

$27,500

$66,000

Super Seth

Waikato Stud

NZ$35,000

NZ$75,000

Zousain

Widden Stud

$19,800

$27,500

Pierata

Yulong

$44,000

$55,000

Cosmic Force

Newgate

$16,500

$16,500

Yes Yes Yes

Coolmore

$38,500

On-sold, yet to be announced elsewhere

Tassort

Newgate

$11,000

$38,500

Brutal

Newgate

$27,500

$16,500

Exceedance

Vinery

$38,500

$33,000

Advertisment
More Reading...
Future Bright for Danica Guy
Group Three winner Lupo Solitario has returned to New Zealand, and the care of his former trainer Danica Guy, following a six-month racing stint in Hong Kong, while the stable are also excited about a first starter this weekend by Justify (USA).
Yulong Head Entries for 2026 G1 Blue Diamond Stakes
The Melbourne Racing Club is pleased to confirm 1,456 nominations have been received for the 2026 edition of the $2 million Group 1 Sportsbet Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m), Victoria’s richest premier race for two-year-olds to be run on Saturday 21 February.  
Feature Race Entries Running Today
The spring carnival is rapidly approaching and midweek metro meetings provide a fertile ground for new talent to emerge so let’s take a look at the runners at Warwick Farm and Sandown today that hold feature race entries.
Widden Parade Braves the Rain
Widden Stud’s annual series of stallion parades in the ‘Valley of Champions’ kicked off as scheduled on Thursday with the reigning Champion Australian Sire Zoustar the centre of attention, while the world’s fastest horse Cogburn (USA) also made his debut in Australia.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday August 20
Here is the full list of 35 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Kia Ora Cancel Saturday Parade
It is with much regret that the management team at Kia Ora announce the cancellation of the Kia Ora Stallion Parade to be held on Saturday 23rd August 2025.
Sires With Winners - Thursday August 21
Here is the full list of 28 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
€1.85million Sale-Topping Frankel Filly Now Triple G1 Oaks Winner for Coolmore
Already a winner of the Group I Epsom Oaks and Irish Oaks, expensive blueblood Frankel filly made it a treble of G1 Oaks races when landing the Group I Yorkshire Oaks (1m4f) overnight.
Twain Chasing Family History
Twain will be out to replicate the deeds of his dam when he heads to Te Rapa on Saturday to contest the Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa.
Debut Winner for Doubtland
Standing at Widden Victoria, Not a Single Doubt’s young sire son Doubtland was one of the sires we saw in Victoria last week and he produced a stylish debut winner at Warrnambool on Thursday.