Written by Paul Vettise
Lyndhurst Stud Farm are keeping a lid on their excitement as the first representatives of resident stallion Better Than Ready (More Than Ready {USA}) edge closer to their debuts. Feedback and early trial results have fuelled their optimism for the coming season, but they taking nothing for granted.
“He’s already had three trial winners, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves,” Jeff Kruger said. “It’s been making the phone ring and Sunday week at Toowoomba is the first 2-year-old race and we expect him to have two good chances in that.”
Better Than Ready (More Than Ready {USA}) produced two promising 2-year-old trials winners in Queensland on Tuesday with Arnwood successful at Toowoomba for Tom Dougall and the Chris Waller-trained Soldati was successful at the Gold Coast. They came a week after Secondofmay won a trial, also at Toowoomba, for Michael Nolan.
“He’s been a pretty popular stallion and covered up to 140 mares each season.” – Jeff Kruger.
“He’s been a pretty popular stallion and covered up to 140 mares each season,” Kruger said. “He does it quite easily as well and he’ll be covering 150 this year, which is pretty good in his fourth season.
“There are a couple of other things that will stand him in good stead – they’ve gone to some really good trainers like Chris Waller, Troy Corstens, Greg Eurell and Tony Gollan – all the names you want to hear and they are spread right around. I’ve also sold a couple in New Zealand.”
Better Than Ready
Multiple black type winner
Better Than Ready was trained by Kelly Schweida to win eight of his 16 starts, including four at Listed level in the Brian Crowley S., in which he broke the 1200 metre track record at Randwick previously held by Northern Meteor (Encosta de Lago), the Falvelon H., the Mick Dittman Plate and the Keith Noud H.
Better Than Ready winning at Randwick
He is out of the five-time winner Sally’s World (Agnes World {USA}), whose four foals to race have all been successful, and she is a half-sister to the dual Group 3 winner Publishing (Testa Rossa) and stakes winner Miss Mooney Mooney(Redoute’s Choice). It is also the family of the Group 2-winning sprinter Illustrious Lad (I Am Invincible).
