SUPER sire More Than Ready is on the verge of achieving a career highlight as he closes on a rare Blue Diamond/Golden Slipper Stakes double.
Already the sire of the two Golden Slipper winners (Sebring in 2008/Phelan Ready 2009), crack filly Samaready’s triumph in Saturday’s Blue Diamond Stakes has catapulted the Vinery Stud resident to an all time high.
Such was the strength was of Samaready’s win that she dislodged More Than Ready colt Raceway at the top of the 2012 Golden Slipper market.
Samaready is $4.20 favourite with TAB Sportsbet ahead of Raceway at $6.50.
This weekend’s Group 2 ATC Silver Slipper (1200m) contender Faustus is at $17 ahead of debut winners Later Gator and Assassinate both at $26.
“The strength and depth of More Than Ready’s current crop of two-year-olds is remarkable,” says Vinery’s Adam White.
“He has sired 7 individual winners so far, three of them are stakeswinners and one other is stakes placed.”
From the 2005/6 season when he was crowned Leading First Season Sire, More Than Ready has established himself as the undisputed premier source of 2YO’s around the world.
He was twice Champion Sire of 2YO’s in Australia and achieved the same honour in the USA in 2010 courtesy of a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile sweep.
More Than Ready has the winner or a placegetter in each of the past four Golden Slippers.
One of those was Sydney filly Elite Falls who came from last to take third in last year’s Slipper.
The John O’Shea trained 3YO went within a nose of giving her sire a G1 double at Caulfield when nailed by Queenslander Woorim in the last inches of the time honoured MRC Oakleigh Plate (1100m).
“It’s one of the great strengths of the More Than Ready breed that the train on as older horses – you only have to look at More Joyous,” White commented,” they are a fantastic breed who perform on all surfaces, run across a range of distances and age groups.”
