More Than Ready has added another two new notches to his list of stakes winners.  The Vinery champion has now sired 107 stakes winners worldwide and they have won a total of 203 stakes races.

Al Aneed (3c More Than Ready – Al Anood by Danehill) started spring with a Sale maiden victory and, after a hiccup second-up at Mornington, he graduated to a Listed victory in the Gothic Stakes at Caulfield.  “I told everyone he was a stakes-class horse from his maiden win but then he went awful at Mornington,” in-form hoop Glen Boss remarked.  “Today was the real horse.”

The Mick Prince trained colt powered home to join a crack contingent of stakes winners like Perfectly Ready, Benicio and Elite Falls that carry the More Than Ready – Danehill cross.  Price said the G3 Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington and G2 Sandown Guineas are next on the agenda.

Al Aneed is from a half-sister to the dam of champion sire European sire Invincible Spirit.  She is a homebred for Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa who also raced Perfectly Ready with Vinery towards the end of his sparking career.

Later on Saturday, Better Than Ready opened his black-type account in the Listed Brian Crowley Stakes at Randwick.  He clocked 1.08.10s to break Northern Meteor’s 1200 metre track record.

Better Than Ready (3c More Than Ready – Sally’s World by Agnes World) drew rare praise from Brisbane visitor Kelly Schweida.  “I think he could be the best I have trained.  This trip’s a learning curve but the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington is in the back our minds.”

More Than Ready got him from a winning half-sister to stakes winners Publishing (Testa Rossa) and Miss Mooney Mooney (Redoute’s Choice).

Better Than Ready was catalogued as Lot 29 at the 2011 Inglis Easter yearling sale and Schweida bought him for $140,000.  The very next yearling into the sale-ring (Lot 29) was a More Than Ready filly that went on to win a G1 Blue Diamond Stakes racing as Samaready.

More Than Ready stands for a $121,000 (inc gst) service fee at Vinery.

– Karl Patterson