Vinery staff farewelled legendary shuttler More Than Ready (USA) this week after his 18th southern season in Australia.
More Than Ready is a global phenomenon as the world’s all-time leading sire of winners. At the latest count, he has sired 1747 individual winners of 5271 races at an amazing 73% strike-rate.
Take a breath and digest those stats. And then factor in 190 individual stakes winners of 372 black-type races. That puts him fifth among the elites behind Danehill (347), Sadler’s Wells (294), Galileo (289) and Danzig (198).
“I’m honoured to have worked with a legend for 18 years,” Vinery Bloodstock Manager Adam White said. “We’re proud of what he has achieved and will miss him as he prepares to head back to the USA.”
It’s business as usual for More Than Ready this Saturday with winning chances around the country including Cellargirl when racing returns to Eagle Farm. She is second-up in Race 8 and will appreciate the drop in grade after a pleasing sixth behind Our Crown Mistress in the Just Now Quality LR at Doomben a fortnight ago.
Sally’s Realm gets her chance to claim black-type in the Starstruck Classic LR at Ascot. Forecasts of extreme heat have forced Perth Racing stewards to push back race times with the temperature expected to hit 39C. The Starstruck Classic (1600m) is now scheduled for 6.15pm local time (9.15pm AEST).
Bob and Sandra Peters race Sally’s Realm and hardest for her to beat will be odds-on favourite Celebrity Dream (NZ) who also sports the in-form cerise and white silks.
Sally’s Realm was bred by Vinery using More Than Ready over Sally’s World (Agnes World), a winning half-sister to VRC Standish Hcp Gr.3 winner Publishing (Testa Rossa). Second dam Sally Magic was runner-up to Testa Rossa in the 1999 Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
Sally’s World’s first mating with More Than Ready produced boom first-season sire Better Than Ready. She has a yearling colt by Press Statement and foaled a filly by the Vinery legend last month.
Vinery sire All Too Hard maintained his remarkable win-a-day strike-rate for December when Couru impressed on debut at Goulburn on Thursday. She was a $115,000 buy for Dynamic Syndications at the 2017 Gold Coast Magic Millions and is from an Irish-bred sister to French Group 1 filly Kournakova (Sadler’s Wells).
Couru is trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and registered the 21st win in 20 days for All Too Hard this month. She showed immense courage to do all the hard work from a wide barrier before pulling away in the straight. “Her stable name is CC (Cranky Couru) because she likes to be the boss and bully others,” Dynamic manager Dean Watt said. “She was whacked off-balance on the home-turn yesterday and was entitled to knock up and fade away.
“But that’s not in her temperament – she dug deep for a dominant win and we think she has a very promising future.”
All Too Hard has C’est Davinchi gunning for a hat-trick in Race 5 at Warwick Farm on Saturday. He strikes tougher opposition than the last two wins at Canterbury but he has the pedigree and potential to make the grade as a Saturday winner for Team Hawkes.
Another All Too Hard worth following is the Chris Waller-trained 3yo Gogoldcoast. He’s in Race 5 at Newcastle on Boxing Day and can make amends for a midfield finish on debut at Gosford earlier this month.
Gogoldcoast started an odds-on favourite but weakened after leading the field in the early stages first-up. He showed signs of tying up during a post-race vet exam but looked as good as gold during a trial win at Randwick on Monday morning.
LEGEND’S FAREWELL