Vinery Stud has announced Champion sire More Than Ready (USA) will be returning to Australia in 2019.
More Than Ready has just finished covering a book of more than 135 quality mares at WinStar Farm in Kentucky achieving his usual impressive fertility rate of over 90%.
WinStar Farm President Elliott Walden revealed More Than Ready’s health, libido and fertility remain as good as ever. It’s still one of the best on the WinStar roster which numbers over 20 stallions.
“He is truly a remarkable horse and judging by how the horse is doing right now we believe that continuing to shuttle could help keep More Than Ready fit and sound for breeding,” Walden said. “We look forward to getting him back at the end of the year.”
Vinery Stud’s General Manager Peter Orton is obviously delighted More Than Ready will be returning to Australia. “He is an amazing stallion that continues to outperform other stallions in the breeding barn. He has always been a great traveller and handles the process with ease.
“In fact, I have found that keeping stallions active maintains their longevity and health better than standing around for 8 months every year between breeding seasons.”
Australian breeders will welcome this opportunity to send mares to More Than Ready, especially after the sad loss of Sebring this year and the instant success of Better Than Ready. This will benefit mare owners who are experiencing difficulties getting into the small group of top stallions this year.
A horse with More Than Ready’s international reputation and proven strike rate (regarding both fertility and progeny success) provides breeders with an excellent opportunity.
More Than Ready is incredibly important to the Australian gene pool being one of the most influential outcrosses we have in this part of the world. He is a Top 5 stallion of all time by stakes winners with 193 individual stakes winners and he is the world’s leading sire of winners (1,794), ahead of Champion Danehill (1,623).
His winners-to-runners strike rate continues to hover over 73%.
More Than Ready continues to buck the trend by getting better with age, which showed on the racetrack again this year where he has 10 stakes winners for the season to date including the two impressive 2yo stakes winners Kooweerup and Ready Set Sail.
This was also reflected in the sale rings where his 2019 yearlings sold to $600,000 and averaged almost $190,000 at the majors.
More Than Ready will stand for a fee of $55,000 (inc GST) covering a restricted book during the southern breeding season.
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