More Than Ready’s stakes-winner tally moved to 120 when Knoydart won the Listed Canterbury Classic (1100m) on Friday night.
The rejuvenated sprinter squeezed through a gap to snatch the latest black-type result for Vinery’s champion stallion. He had won first-up after a 22 week spell at Canterbury a month ago and appears a more genuine type since being gelded last year.
Knoydart is a Darley homebred and is the latest black-type winner representing the More Than Ready – Danehill cross. His dam Regal Cheer was a Group 1 winner of the 2006 Coolmore Classic and she is by Danehill’s 1998 Victoria Derby winner Arena.
Sheikh Mohammed purchased Regal Cheer for $900,000 at the 2007 Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale.
Knoydart was eligible for easier races but trainer Peter Snowden decided to start him in the Classic.
“He’s a different horse since being gelded. There is a lot to say about gelding some of these horses,” Snowden said.
“He really wanted to push through that gap which is something he wouldn’t have done before.
“I was in two minds what to do. He could have run in the benchmark race but his work was so sharp I thought we should have a crack.”
The Classic breakthrough came just a day after More Than Ready produced another promising type at Wyong.
The John O’Shea trained three year-old Cramming looked a feature winner in waiting following the Ray White Thompson Partnership Hcp (1600m). It was his second win in a row at Wyong this month since resuming from an educational debut at Kembla Grange in July.
Cramming will keep improving over longer trips than a mile being out of Zabeel mare Memorisation. He was bred and sold by Gerry Harvey for $120,000 at the 2012 Gold Coast Magic Millions.
More Than Ready averaged $225,000 at the 2014 Gold Coast Magic Millions and his next yearling going under the hammer is a filly at the NZ Karaka Premier Sale on Monday. Catalogued as Lot 163, she is from the Aqueduct stakes winner Olivine (Royal Academy).
