More Than Ready broke through the 100 winner milestone at Randwick on Wednesday. It was the third century in a row for Vinery’s champion sire following scores of 115 (2009-10) and 108 (2008-09).
More Than Ready joined Vinery stablemate Testa Rossa among the stallions with three figures next to their name this season.
The Gerry Harvey homebred Pregrada won the Rosebery Maiden Plate (1300m) on the Kensington course to bring up the ton. She was resuming after a 26 week break following a string of placings at Newcastle, Canterbury and Randwick over the Xmas – New Year holidays.
Pregrada is trained by Clarry Connors and is the latest winner to represent the successful More Than Ready / Danehill cross.
It’s been another outstanding season for More Than Ready with flag-bearer More Joyous winning 4 Group 1 races among her 8 victories in 2010-11. And she’s had a strong support cast with Dreamaway, More Strawberries, Elite Falls and Caulfield Guineas candidate Mahisara.
His Australian success comes hot on the heels of a breakthrough year overseas. The Todd Pletcher trained filly Buster’s Ready secured his first USA Group 1 in the Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park last week. She will get the chance to grab another Group 1 at the prestigious Saratoga meeting in August.
More Than Ready’s current tally of 88 lifetime stakes winners is sure to increase with a rising tide of new-season juveniles in Australia. They are from his best ever book of mares in 2008.
He has already sired the Golden Slipper winners Sebring and Phelan Ready and there are 78 of his youngsters nominated to make it three in the 2012 edition of the world’s richest race for two year-olds.
Pregrada (3f More Than Ready – Dansino by Danehill) didn’t greet the judge until she was within a month of turning four and she is bred to keep improving over longer than Wednesday’s 1300m journey.
The Kensington winner is a half-sister to Zagreb (Zabeel). He won 4 races up to 2000m including the LR Naturalism Stakes in Melbourne and he was also a G1 runner-up in the 2008 South Australia Derby won by Zarita.
More Than Ready will stand the 2011 season at Vinery Stud at a fee of $99,000.