More Than Ready features in Hong Kong Gr.1 whilst flying filly Lady Alexandra returned from an extended spell to spank her rivals in the License Fee Stakes LR at Belmont Park.
Sunday’s turf sprint attracted a quality field of fillies and mares to kick-start the spring meet in New York but they were outclassed by the winner who clocked 68.65s for 1200m.
Lady Alexandra is the 184th stakes winner by More Than Ready. The Vinery legend leads the North American General Sire list with 8 individual black-type winners to date in 2018.
Sidelined since the Saratoga summer season in July, she accelerated in the straight to score by more than three lengths from odds-on favourite Stormy Victoria.
“I was just a passenger today,” jockey Jose Ortiz said. “She broke well and was doing it easy. When I asked to go, she exploded and gave me a good kick. She did it really nice.”
Lady Alexandra (4f More Than Ready – Lophorina by King’s Best) was a $150,000 buy for trainer Graham Motion at the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale. She has won 4 times in 7 starts and earned her first black-type when placed in last year’s Ginger Brew Stakes LR at Gulfstream Park.
Her second-dam Flagbird (Nureyev) won a Group 1 in Italy (Presidente della Repubblica), Group 2 in Ireland (Pretty Polly Stakes) and Group 3 in France (Prix de la Grotte).
More Than Ready was also in frame in Hong Kong on Sunday when his Aussie expat Eagle Way finished third in the QEII Cup Gr.1 at Sha Tin. He shuttles to Vinery for a $66,000 (inc gst) service fee.
