Steady Ready wins $750,000 King of the Mountain

Tara Madgwick - Friday March 28

The richest race in Australia on Friday was the $750,000 King of the Mountain (1200m) at Toowoomba with victory going to Better than Ready’s speed demon Steady Ready.

Trained by Tony & Maddysen Sears, the five year-old gelding broke the track record at Eagle Farm for 1000m last December and was well primed for this assignment at his second run back from a spell.

Steady Ready ran his rivals off their legs, leading for home and giving plenty for Cody Collis to hang on and win by a neck over the late closing Russian Alliance.

Advertisement

It was his third attempt to win the rich slot race having placed in 2023 and 2024.

A stakes-winner last season, Steady Ready is owned by Jayven See and  has bloomed since being gelded. He has the overall record of seven wins and eight placings from 19 starts with prizemoney topping $1million.

A $70,000 purchase for Paul Moroney Bloodstock/Haoh & Co from the Yarramalong Park draft from Book 2 of the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Steady Ready is the best of three winners from as many to race for the Denman mare Our First Lady.

Steady Ready has an intriguing pedigree as Our First Lady is out of a half-sister to the sire sensation More Than Ready, the sire of Better Than Ready.

Our First Lady has been married to Better Than Ready for seven seasons. She has a two year-old colt purchased by Jack Bruce Racing/Clarke Bloodstock Pty Ltd (FBAA)/High Calibre Racing for $120,000 when consigned by Yarramalong Park to the 2024 Magic Millions.

After missing in 2022 and slipping the next year , Our First Lady had a change of pace and was covered by Better Than Ready’s young sire son Alpine Edge last year.

Better than Ready is the sire of $1million earner Steady Ready.

Better Than Ready is enjoying his usual good season with over 100 winners so far earning over $7million in prizemoney putting him in the Top 20 sires by earnings and winners.

Advertisment

Race Result - Mort & Co King Of The Mountain 1200m

Toowoomba Track: Heavy(10) Time: 1:15.37
1
Steady Ready
- 5g Better Than Ready (AUS) x Our First Lady (AUS) (Denman (AUS))
Tnr: Tony & Maddysen Sears Rdr: Cody Collis 57.5
MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale Book 2 $70,000
Seller: Yarramalong Park, Kalbar, Qld
Buyer: Paul Moroney Bloodstock/Haoh & Co
2
0.2
Russian Alliance
- 4m Russian Revolution (AUS) x Sea Dweller (GB) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: K R Kemp Rdr: Bailey Wheeler 56.5
MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale Book 2 $65,000
Seller: Noble Bend Farm, Gowrie Junction, Qld
Buyer: Paul Reedy
Inglis June (Late) Online Sale $10,000
Seller: Owner
Buyer: W Vohland
3
0.3
Millane
- 5g Zoustar (AUS) x Fireworks (AUS) (Snitzel (AUS))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Damien Thornton 56
Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale $1,150,000
Seller: Segenhoe Stud Australia Pty Ltd, Scone
Buyer: Moody Racing / Rosemont Victorian Alliance / Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) / David Redvers Bloodstoc
4
2.1
Safework
- 7g Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Ossie's Secret (AUS) (Red Dazzler (AUS))
Tnr: S J Morrisey Rdr: R Dolan 56
5
5.1
Chinny Boom
- 5m Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Imanoremiss (AUS) (Made Of Gold (USA))
Tnr: Clinton Taylor Rdr: Justin P Stanley 55.5
6
6.6
Rockribbed
- 7g Night Of Thunder (IRE) x Seattle Lass (AUS) (Fraar (USA))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Angela Jones 56
7
7.1
Secret Plan
- 7g I Am Invincible (AUS) x Highly Secret (NZ) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: Tony & Maddysen Sears Rdr: Jag Guthmann-Chester 57
7
7.1
Ned's Gully
- 6g Bel Esprit (AUS) x Amizade (AUS) (Monashee Mountain (USA))
Tnr: P J Wallace Rdr: M R Du Plessis 56
9
7.6
Brereton
- 5g Zoustar (AUS) x Fuddle Dee Duddle (AUS) (Red Ransom (USA))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Cejay Graham 56
10
10.9
It'sourtime
- 7g Time For War (AUS) x Zedoble (AUS) (Zeditave (AUS))
Tnr: Pat W Webster Rdr: Leslie Tilley 59
11
24.4
Cifrado
- 4g Encryption (AUS) x Madame Fly (AUS) (Excites (AUS))
Tnr: R G Lipp Rdr: Kyle Wilson-Taylor 60
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Thursday June 5
Here is the full list of 36 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Steady Ready Goes Coast to Coast in Lightning
The betting suggested Steady Ready was ready for a peak performance in Saturday’s Listed Ladbrokes Lightning Hcp (1000m) at Eagle Farm, and it proved spot on.
New Winner for Bivouac
Godolphin have been  enjoying a winning run with their late season juveniles and it continued at Geelong on Thursday where Bivouac gelding Loving opened his account.
Breeding To Win - 2025 G1 Queensland Oaks
Unbeaten this preparation, Philia will be looking to emulate her half-sister Duais in winning the $1million Group I BRC Queensland Oaks (2200m) on Saturday, but a swarm of up and comers are nipping at her heels, so who are they?
Sires With Winners - Friday June 6
Here is the full list of 31 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
SWs in foal to Wootton Bassett and Snitzel headline the June (Early) Online Sale
Stakes winners in foal to Wootton Bassett and Snitzel, along with a significant number of young, well-bred racing and breeding prospects headline another intriguing catalogue for the Inglis Digital June (Early) Online Sale.
North Pacific 2YO Ready to Win
Byerley Park trainer Steven Cole will head to Ellerslie with a quartet of runners on Saturday, and he is particularly upbeat about the chances of Pacific Breeze in the Network Visuals 1200.
A Passion That Lasts a Lifetime
A passion for pedigrees and thoroughbreds is often one that lasts a lifetime and so it has been for one of the co-breeders of Bravery, who contacted me this week following our earlier and very well read story on current 2YO star Cool Archie.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
There were six heats for juveniles at Rosehill on Friday that featured some interesting winners including stakes-placed filly Horseshoe Hill, a couple of unraced youngsters by Zoustar and the highest priced yearling by Prague.
Inglis Ready 2 Race Entries Open
Entries for the Inglis Ready2Race Sale – Australasia’s most progressive 2YO Sale – are now open.