Too Darn Hot odds drift for Guineas

Too Darn Hot continued to drift in the betting for the 2,000 Guineas following news that he would miss his intended prep race on Saturday.

The champion two-year-old is 13-8 (from 6-5) after he was ruled out of the Watership Down Greenham Stakes at Newbury because of heat in a splint bone.

In his absence, the Greenham has attracted 10 runners, headed by the Richard Hannon trained Boitron. The colt has undergone wind surgery since finishing a close fourth in last year’s Jean-Luc Lagardere. Others to note include Mohaather and Hello Youmzain.

Newbury’s fillies’ trial has attracted 16 runners, including the Ralph Beckett-trained Dancing Vega, an impressive winner on her Doncaster debut last autumn. “She’s coming back a furlong,” said Beckett on Thursday. “I don’t think that’s a problem. If she’s going to get to the 1,000 Guineas, she has to run somewhere and this gives her the best chance for recovering.”

There were no takers for the Kentucky Derby after the Woodford Reserve Cardinal Conditions Race at Chelmsford – a “win and you’re in” for Churchill Downs – was won by Andrew Balding’s Bye Bye Hong Kong. Aidan O’Brien’s 15-8 favourite, USS Michigan, was a disappointing fourth.

The winner, which continued a good start to the turf season for King Power Racing, will now be aimed at Royal Ascot.