MORE Than Ready gelding Regally Ready’s easy win in last Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Churchill happened under the nose of Magic Millions boss Vin Cox.
It was undoubtedly a timely win with the 2012 Magic Millions Yearling sale approaching fast, Cox knows how important More Than Ready is every January.
”More Than Ready makes the Magic Millions sale,” Cox told us from Kentucky,”he is the sire of two Golden Slipper winners, both bought out of our sale. On top of that Phelan Ready and Augusta Proud both won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast.
”He’s a sire that works extremely well in the Magic Millions sale for obvious reasons.”
Buyers will be able to choose from 31 of his yearlings bound for the Gold Coast this summer, 26 colts and 5 fillies.
And while his reputation as the world’s best source of champion two-year-olds remains unchallenged, More Than Ready is also the sire of Benicio and Dreamaway – each of who won a Group 1 Derby at 3.
”Obviously (the More Than Ready’s) are very good two-year-olds but they race on,” Cox says.
”Regally Ready was very impressive here last weekend and he’s a four-year-old. Back in Australia you’ve got the likes of More Joyous and Perfectly Ready who won Group 1 races as older horses and there’s plenty of others.”
More Than Ready has at least two potential bright stars of the autumn in the Victorian duo of Proliferate and Cambiaso.
Magic Millions graduate Cambiaso, trained by Danny O’Brien, joined a host of juvenile heavyweights including Golden Slippers winners Sepoy, Danzero and Canny Lad when he won the coveted VRC Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m).
More Than Ready has sired the winner or placegetter in the last four Golden Slippers.
Meanwhile, Mick Price – who trained More Than Ready’s Group 1 winner and reigning NZ Champion First Season Sire Perfectly Ready, holds high hopes for the unbeaten Proliferate.
Proliferate kicked off with a win in a Geelong maiden in September but stamped himself as one of Victoria’s genuine future staying stars with victory in the Listed VRC Myer Spring Fashion Stakes (1800m) on Oaks day at Flemington.
”He was able to get cover, switch off, then switch on when he was asked. I thought he was strong at the end of 1800m and (jockey) Michael Walker said he had more to give,” Price said.
”But he was quite distracted as he does do – he’s a lad – but (he is) a sound, lengthy, staying type of colt who has gone to the paddock unbeaten and will be reproduced in the autumn.”
