It appears very likely that no other horse in history has travelled as far in its life than More Than Ready, the former high class American racehorse now on his eighteenth visit from Kentucky (WinStar Farm) USA for southern hemisphere sire use at the Vinery Stud in the Segenhoe Valley near Scone. In the process, it is estimated this near black 16.1 1/2 hh son of Southern Halo (Royal Charger male line) and Woodman’s Gal (by shuttled Mr. Prospector sire Woodman (USA) has flown over 500,000 kilometres.
On $66,000 this year at Vinery and $80,000 in the USA, More Than Ready has been very worthy of his continued use at high fees in both hemispheres, having been represented world wide to date by 1738 winners (73.3%) of 5237 races and over $210million. Australian sired offspring contributed over 800 winners of 2400 races and $90million to these statistics.
There have 190 stakes winners (80 Aust. sired), including 23 (13 Aust) at Group1 level. Among the Aussies have been More Joyous (dam by Sunday Silence; champion middle distance horse 2011-12, 21 wins, 8 G1, $4,572,450), Samaready (Secret Savings (USA); champion female sprinter 2013-14, won Blue Diamond, third Golden Slipper), Sebring (Flying Spur; champion 2yo colt 2007-08, won ATC Golden Slipper, ATC Sires Produce S; a leading sire at Widden Stud), Prized Icon (Danehill (USA); ATC Champagne Stakes, VRC Victorian Derby), Eagle Way (Lure (USA); Queensland Derby), Phelan Ready (Blevic; champion at 2, Golden Slipper), More Than Sacred (Danehill; NZ Oaks), Dreamaway (Danehill; Western Aust Derby, Oaks), Benicio (Danehill; Victoria Derby; sire) and Carry On Cutie (Conquistadore; AJC Champagne Stakes).
More Than Ready is also proving a valuable broodmare sire, his daughters so far supplying 883 winners world wide and just under $100million in earnings.Their 71 stakes winners include five Group1 winners, all sired in Australia, namely Miracles of Life (by Not a Single Doubt; 8 wins, $1,578,270, won MRC Blue Diamond, SAJC William Hill Classic), Rebel Dane (California Dane; 8 wins, $2,477,350, first, third and fourth MVRC Manikato), Delectation (Shamardal (USA); 5 wins, $1,607,525, VRC Darley Classic), Atlante (Fastnet Rock; NZ Two Thousand Guineas) and Luna Rossa (Written Tycoon; Manawatu Sires Produce S).
More Than Ready, himself a winner of seven races to 1400m, including a Group1 event, and fourth in the Kentucky Derby, has done well again as a sire in both hemispheres in 2018. Two of the best performers, both 6yo geldings, successful in majors in November, have been American Roy H (dam by Elusive Quality (USA), a visitor for six southern hemisphere seasons – 2003 – 08, 470 foals), a performer in running to be crowned their champion sprinter for the second successive year, and Australian bred Hong Kong star Eagle Way.
Unraced at two, winner once at three and winless at four, the Mr. Prospector 4×4 inbred Roy H blossomed into a stand out American sprinter at five and six. In claiming not only the American Sprint Champion crown for 2017 but also being named equal World Best Male Sprinter, he won five of six appearances, including two Group1s, the Santa Anita Sprint Championship and the Breeder’s Cup Sprint (run in November). He has backed up and easily won these two races again in 2018.
There were four runners by More Than Ready in this year’s Breeder’s Cup events. One of these, Cathlolic Boy, a 3-year-old colt out of a mare by Darley used dual hemisphere sire Bernardini (USA) (by A.P. Indy, was one of the most fancied runners in the $6million Breeder’s Cup Classic-G1 (2000m). He went into the contest with successive stakes wins at his last three appearances to his credit, two of them the Group1 races, the Belmont Derby (New York’s Belmont racecourse) and Travers Stakes (Saratoga), but finished near the rear after a poor start.
Queensland Derby winner now HK record setter
The excellence of More Than Ready as a sire was underlined again when his Segenhoe Thoroughbreds, Segenhoe Valley, Scone bred 6-year-old gelded son Eagle Way swept to victory in new track record time for the 2000m trip of 1.59.30 on Hong Kong’s Sha Tin racecourse in the Group 2 Jockey Club Cup on November 18.
Now winner of eight of 34 starts spread over two countries, Australia (won Queensland Derby) and HK (including the Jockey Club Cup and two at Group 3, also runner up in two at Group1 level), Eagle Way is fancied for a win in a major at the Hong Kong international carnival in December.
Segenhoe sold the horse who was to become Eagle Way for $200,000 to George Moore Bloodstock, HK at the 2014 Inglis Easter yearling sale and he raced in Australia out of the Guy stables at the Gold Coast in the ownership of his HK trainer John Moore, a son of the now deceased legendary jockey George Moore.
Eagle Way is a half-brother to three Australian stakes winning fillies, Assertive Eagle (by Danewin; Listed winner Adelaide, second G2 and G3 Merbourne), Impressive Eagle (Rubiton; two Listed wins Adelaide, G1 third) and Soaressa (Twining; Listed Adelaide).
Now producing for Widden Stud, Assertive Eagle currently has a More Than Ready colt foal and Soaressa (Hesket Bloodstock, Vic) a colt in the first crop of Darley Hunter Valley headquartered Medaglio d’Oro (USA) Golden Rose winner Astern. He shuttles to their stud in Kentucky.
Five times leading HK trainer, John Moore had three winners on the November 18 program, the other two being Styling City, an Australian bred 3yo gelding by Starspangledbanner and from Secret Liaison, a daughter of Artie Schiller (USA), and Beauty Generation, a 6yo NZ bred gelding by the Encosta de Lago AJC George Main Stakes and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Road to Rock and from the Bel Esprit mare Stylish Bel.
Known in Australia as Montaigne, Beauty Generation also set a new track record at this meeting, covering the mile (1600m) of his event, the Group 2 Jockey Club Mile.
