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.

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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.

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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
Inglis Ready2Race Sale $0
Seller: Hannover Lodge, Wilberforce
Buyer: Passed in - $ 200,000
MM Gold Coast March Yearling Sale $72,500
Seller: Yarramalong Park, Kalbar, Qld
Buyer: RS Bloodstock/Paul Moroney & Catheryne Bruggeman
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
3
0.3
Millane
- 5g Zoustar (AUS) x Fireworks (AUS) (Snitzel (AUS))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Damien Thornton 56
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
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