Brilliant More Than Ready 2yo Nayeli can notch a second G1 Blue Diamond Stakes for More Than Ready at Caulfield on February 22.
The Vinery champion sired 2012 winner Samaready and Nayeli firmed into $7 for this year’s Blue Diamond following a fluent victory in the Chairman’s Stakes Gr.3 (1100m) at Caulfield.
Nayeli (2f More Than Ready – Wasimah by Danehill) is trained by Gai Waterhouse and is on the third line of Blue Diamond markets behind Rubick ($3.20) and Earthquake ($4.80) after a fluent first-up victory in Melbourne on Saturday.
“Gai set her for the Blue Diamond before her debut win at Randwick last month,” owner Greg Kolivos said. “She was very professional – Caulfield has brought plenty of horses undone in the past.”
Kolivos raced champion colt Pierro and his wife Donna named the filly after an American Indian word meaning ‘I love you’.
Nayeli was a $260,000 buy from the 2013 Inglis Easter yearling sale. Her dam is a three-quarter sister to Kaphero who won the 2006 Blue Diamond Preview before retiring to Swettenham Stud.
Waterhouse, who trained More Than Ready’s champion mare More Joyous, watched the win from Rosehill and would have been pleased with Vlad Duric’s post-race comments. “She mustered speed straightaway and then switched off. That helped her conserve energy and, when I pushed the button, she was very strong.”
Nayeli will elevate More Than Ready into second spot on the Australian 2yo sires’ premiership if successful in the $1 million Blue Diamond. Vinery stallion Testa Rossa is top of the table after his colt Unencumbered won the $2 million Magic Millions 2yo Classic.
Hoofnote: Samaready continued her build up to the autumn carnival with a trial win at Caulfield on Tuesday morning. She led throughout to defeat class sprinters Vatican and Shamal Wind in a 650m hit-out.
The More Than Ready mare claimed her second elite level victory in the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley in September. She will start first-up in the G1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on February 15.
