A Closer Look at a Shuttle King

Tara Madgwick - Tuesday July 14

This week we’re taking a ‘closer look’ at the most travelled shuttle stallion in the world, who at age 23 has handed in his passport and for the first time since 2001 will not be coming to Australia this spring.

He is of course Vinery Stud’s remarkable sire More Than Ready (USA), whose appetite for travel is second only to his appetite for mares with excellent libido and an impeccable constitution making him the perfect shuttle stallion.

The sire of 202 stakes-winners worldwide, he is another shuttler like Danehill, who achieved success first here in the Southern Hemisphere and then later on in the US.

More Than Ready has left a lasting legacy in Australia

He was the Champion Australian First Season Sire for 2004/2005 with 17 winners highlighted by six stakes-winners including G1 winner Carry on Cutie with an additional five other stakes-placed performers.

Think about that in terms of this season’s first season sires and you can understand why More Than Ready was immediately hailed a superstar sire in the making and in all honesty an unexpected success given his profile.

A Group I winning dirt track sprinter, More Than Ready is by champion Argentinian sire Southern Halo from a daughter of Woodman, who shuttled here for five seasons between 1997 and 2001, but did not endear himself to breeders, achieving only modest success.

On face value, that’s hardly a textbook recipe for success, but nothing about More Than Ready is textbook.

While he never won beyond seven furlongs, his offspring have proven precocious and fast, but also tough and versatile with classic winners scattered through his full list of 89 Southern Hemisphere bred stakes-winners that we will look at in the table below.

 

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Crop Year (SH)

Mares Covered / Service Fee

Stakes-Winners/ Best Performers

2002

108 / $22,000

12 SW’s / G1 Carry on Cutie, Perfectly Ready, Benicio

2003

70/ $22,000

3 SW’s / G3 Ready to Lift

2004

84/ $19,250

1 SW/ G3 Patronyme

2005

146 / $16,500

7 SW’s / G1 Sebring

2006

164/ $44,000

8 SW’s / G1 More Joyous, Phelan Ready

2007

120/ $55,000

5 SW’s / G1 Dreamaway

2008

163/ $44,000

8 SW’s / G1 Gimmethegreenlight

2009

175/ $110,000

11 SW’s / Samaready. More Than Sacred

2010

161 / $148.500

6 SW’s / G3 War, Romantic Moon

2011

114 / $121,000

4 SW’s / G3 Nayeli, Ideal Image

2012

150/ $99,000

11 SW’s / G1 Perfect Reflection, Entisaar, Eagle Way

2013

136/ $121,000

4 SW’s / G1 Prized Icon

2014

80/ $99,000

3 SW’s / G3 Spring Heat

2015

124 / $66,000

2 SW’s / Listed True Attraction

2016

135 / $66,000

2 SW’s/ G3 Kooweerup

2017

134 / $66,000

2 SW’s / G2 Vernazza

2018

95 / $66,000

Yearlings (65 live foals)

2019

64 / $66,000

Foals (40 live foals)

2020

100 / $55,000

Yet to be born



Click here for a Closer Look at Lonhro
Click here for a Closer Look at Redoute’s Choice.
Click here for a Closer Look at Northern Meteor and Sebring.
Click here for a Closer Look at Written Tycoon and Not a Single Doubt
Click here for a Closer look at I Am Invincible.
Click here for a Closer Look at Fastnet Rock.
Click here for a Closer Look at Snitzel.
Click here for a Closer Look at Pierro.
Click here for a Closer Look at Exceed and Excel.


 
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