More Than Ready’s Kiwi star Spring Heat delivered a potent late sprint to claim her second Group 3 at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Spring Heat had been Group 1 placed in the Telegraph Hcp at Trentham last month and the drop back in grade saw her firm into a $3.50 favourite.  The lightly-raced More Than Ready mare had won the 2017 Bonecrusher Stakes in Auckland and she produced a barnstorming finish to double up in the King’s Plate Gr.3.

“There looked a lot of pace in the race and Danielle (Johnson) said she would try and get them late,” co-trainer Lance O’Sullivan said.  “I was getting a bit anxious when they were a fair way back and it was pretty cool ride.”

Front-runner Rock ‘N’ Affair set a solid speed while Spring Heat was awkwardly placed as the backmarkers took off approaching the home turn.  Angled out wide, she swooped to blouse out Its Destinys Child (NZ) by a head.

“That’s only her third run for the season but that seems to suit and she always seems to perform,” O’Sullivan added.  “She showed us a huge amount of natural ability early on but we’ve had to give her time.

“That patience is starting to be rewarded now.”

Spring Heat was bred by Jenny Mackay at Cangon Stud in Dungog and her dam Emaurismo (Redoute’s Choice) foaled another More Than Ready filly in September.  Second-dam Katima was a Group 2 winner of the Silver Shadow Stakes at Warwick Farm.

The King’s Plate improved her record to 5 wins in 13 starts for Hermitage Thoroughbreds.  She sold for $240,000 out of the Sledmere Stud draft to the 2016 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

It was the second New Zealand Group success in as many weeks for Vinery legend More Than Ready.  He sired Vernazza to win the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes Gr.2 last Saturday and she holds a Group 1 nomination for the Sistema Stakes over 1200m at Ellerslie on March 7.