Andrew Caulfield, April 22, 2008–Sebring (Aus) P EDIGREE INSIGHTS This, in turn, will have reflected well on More Than Ready when the Vinery stallion arrived to stand his first BY ANDREW CAULFIELD season in Australia at a fee of A$22,000 in 2001. More Than Ready is by Southern Halo, a horse inbred 3x4 to AAMI GOLDEN SLIPPER S.-G1, A$3,500,000, Rosehill Almahmoud through Cosmah and Natalma, so he had (Sydney), 4-19, 2yo, 6fT, 1:12.88, hy. obvious appeal as a mate for mares with Danehill blood. 1--@sSEBRING (AUS), 125, c, 2, by More Than Ready It is worth pointing out that the last few years have 1st Dam: Purespeed (Aus), by Flying Spur (Aus) seen a flourishing partnership develop between Danehill 2nd Dam: Lady Moulin (Aus), by Luskin Star (Aus) and Machiavellian, another stallion with a parent inbred 3rd Dam: Willowy (Aus), by Better Boy (Ire) to Almahmoud through Cosmah and Natalma. Danehill O-J Hazzisevastos, Team Henderson Racing sired four stakes winners from only 10 foals out of Syndicate, S Mekertichian, Ms M Butler, J & Mrs A Machiavellian mares and Machiavellian's son Medicean McDonnell, Ms D Dunphy, B Leonard, J Screnci & has two group winners among his first eight foals out Mrs W Mullens; B-Corumbene Stud; T-Gai of Danehill mares. Incidentally, Southern Halo isn't the Waterhouse; J-Glen Boss; A$2,000,000. Click for the only son of Halo with a good record with Danehill eNicks report and 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick mares. Sunday Silence (who isn't inbred to Rating: A++. Almahmoud) sired four stakes winners, including the One undoubted benefit of the shuttle stallion concept dual Grade II winner Silent Name and the classic-placed is that a stallion can be seen in a new light by breeders Japanese colt Six Sense. in one hemisphere, thanks to his achievements in the More Than Ready has also flourished with Danehill's other. There's arguably no better example of this than daughters and granddaughters. His first Australian crop the great Danehill, who was once on the brink of featured two very good--but very different--colts out of becoming just another stallion on Coolmore's Danehill mares. One, Perfectly Ready, was a Group 1- star-packed Irish roster. In 1994, in his fifth season, winning sprinter, whereas the other, Benicio, won the Danehill's fee was a mere IR9,000gns, which placed G1 Victoria Derby over 1 9/16 miles. And now More him only 10th in the pecking order among Coolmore's Than Ready has sired Sebring, the unbeaten winner of Irish stallions. Although he started to flourish with his the G1 Golden Slipper S., from a mare by Flying Spur, northern hemisphere runners in 1995, the Coolmore one of Danehill's five Golden Slipper winners. team was prepared to lease him to Japan for the 1996 Sebring is More Than Ready's second stakes winner season, which suggests he still wasn't considered vital from his first six foals out of daughters of Flying Spur, to the operation's success. a stallion inbred 4x4x5 to Natalma. It was a different story in Australia. Three Danehill isn't the only son of Danzig to appear among consecutive titles as champion sire of juveniles were the broodmare sires of More Than Ready's best immediately followed by three general sires' winners. The American Grade II winner Ready To Please championships, and Danehill had the winner of the is out of a Pine Bluff mare, while Augusta Proud, the prestigious Golden Slipper S. in each of his first three filly who lost her unbeaten record in the Golden Slipper, crops. Altogether he was champion sire nine times in is out of a Langfuhr mare. Interestingly, Pine Bluff was the space of 11 years, his last championship coming in also inbred 4x4 to Almahmoud (while Langfuhr is the 2004/5 season. closely inbred to Nearctic, who sired Northern Dancer These achievements can only have helped boost from Natalma). More Than Ready also sired the Group Danehill's reputation in Europe, where he eventually 1-placed Australian filly Deloraine from a Danzig mare. became champion sire in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Before we attribute all of Sebring's considerable Part of Danehill's appeal as a stallion, from a pedigree talent to these multiple lines of Almahmoud, I should viewpoint, was that he was inbred 3x3 to Natalma, one quickly point out that he is another high-class winner of three daughters of Almahmoud to have produced a whose pedigree features inbreeding to both Mr. champion stallion. Prospector (4x4) and Northern Dancer (4x5x6). www.coolmore.com More Than Ready now looks to have the two-year-old sires' championship sewn up, having earned more than three times as much as his nearest pursuers, Encosta de Lago and Red Ransom. He had finished a remote second to Redoute's Choice on this list in 2004/5, when Carry On Cutie won the G1 Champagne S., and there's every reason to think he'll continue to shine in this sphere. The five-time juvenile winner has covered at least 120 mares in each of the last four Australian seasons and is sure to be in great demand later this year. More Than Ready is obviously a very fecund stallion. If you combine the number of mares covered in each hemisphere, he coped with 297 in 2004, 331 in 2005, 272 in 2006 and 299 last year. It will be interesting to see whether raising his fee from $40,000 to $60,000 affects the size of his Kentucky book this year. Although I am a fully paid-up member of More Than Ready's fan club, I couldn't help thinking $60,000 was plenty to pay for a horse still awaiting his first northern hemisphere Grade I winner after four years with runners. That said, he sires an attractive proportion of tough stakes winners, and it would be no surprise to see his profile continue to rise in the northern hemisphere, thanks partly to his Australian achievements. SEBRING, c, 2006 Hail to Reason Halo Cosmah Southern Halo Northern Dancer Northern Sea Sea Saga More Than Ready Mr. Prospector Woodman Playmate Woodman’s Girl Naskra Becky Be Good Good Landing Danzig Danehill Razyana Flying Spur (Aus) Mr. Prospector Rolls Purespeed (Aus) Grand Luxe Unplaced Kaoru Star (Aus) 4Fls, 1GSW Luskin Star (Aus) Lady Moulin (Aus) Promising (NZ) Unraced 10Fls, 1GSW Willowy (Aus) Better Boy (Ire) 9Fls, 1GSW Far Vista (Aus).