Uncertain racing future for All Too Hard

By Mathew Toogood

MELBOURNE, March 16 AAP - The racing future of star colt All Too Hard is in doubt.

Co-trainer Wayne Hawkes said there was no need to rush into a decision but the valuable stallion prospect's blood count was still "not quite 100 per cent" after a minor setback leading into the Australian Guineas.

He said a decision on where the three-time Group One winner races next, or whether he is retired without another start, would be up to the colt's owners.

All Too Hard was scratched from the Australian Guineas because of an elevated temperature.

He was expected to press on to the Sydney carnival but Hawkes said there was no "grand final" race for the colt.

"You've got a Doncaster, you've got Derby and he's not that type of horse," Hawkes said.

"So it's not like you've got a grand final so to speak.

"It's not that we're in limbo, but we just don't have to rush because he's actually done what he needs to do."

All Too Hard has won the C F Orr Stakes and Futurity Stakes at Group One weight-for-age level this campaign.

Hawkes said a decision on whether All Too Hard goes to Royal Ascot would be up to the owners.

"If they want to take him on to England, we'll go. And if they don't, we won't go," he said.

All Too Hard has remained in work since his Australian Guineas scratching.

Asked if All Too Hard might have run his last race, Hawkes said: "It's up to the owners.

"He's done his job in life. I said if I owned him, after the Caulfield Guineas, I would have retired him.

"He's done all he has to do.

"You could go on with him again. You could run him in the Cox Plate in the spring. You could send him straight to stud. You could take him to England. It's really whatever the owners want to do."