Cover image courtesy of Lyndhurst Stud Farm
Heading into his 11th season at stud, proven Group 1 sire Better Than Ready continues to sire early-maturing stock who come into their own during the Brisbane carnival.
Better Than Ready will stay at the same fee for 2025, and he covered 140 mares at $27,500 inc GST in 2024. His current crop of juveniles has six individual winners, and he has seven crops of racing age, led by Group 1 winners Port Lockroy and Apache Chase. Overall, he has 14 stakes winners, and is represented by Metalart who runs in Saturday’s Listed Chief De Beers Stakes.
Better Than Ready will stand for $27,500 inc GST in 2025 | Standing at Lyndhurst Stud Farm
“He’s going excellent. He’s the only stallion in Queensland with multiple Group 1 winners and he’s looking being the Champion Queensland Sire for the third consecutive year as he’s $1 million ahead of Spirit Of Boom with two months to go,” said Lyndhurst Stud Farm’s Jeff Kruger.
“He’s got a few feathers in his cap. No stallion other than Without Fear got as many winners in his first season, and Better Than Ready consistently gets plenty of 2-year-olds every year. For the number of winners, he’s among the top 10 in the country and it’s fair to say they’ve been off lower quality mares (than the other nine). He’s certainly lifted his mares.”
“For the number of winners, he’s (Better Than Ready) among the top 10 in the country and it’s fair to say they’ve been off lower quality mares (than the other nine). He’s certainly lifted his mares.” - Jeff Kruger
Better Than Ready has had 122 individual winners this season in Australia, beaten only by I Am Invincible (175), Zoustar (171), Written Tycoon (154), Toronado (Ire) (148), Capitalist (143), So You Think (NZ) (136), Deep Field (129), Dundeel (NZ) (128), Snitzel (125), and Spirit Of Boom is equal on 122 (as at Thursday morning).
Better Than Ready has three runners in Friday night’s $1 million Magic Millions National Stakes with Isti Star, Get Ready Lass, and Smashing Lulu.
Heading into tricky fourth season
With the good looks that come with being a $900,000 yearling himself, Barbaric was a speedy juvenile winning the G3 Black Opal Stakes. He’s heading into his fourth season at stud, with his first crop about to turn two, and Lyndhurst Stud Farm have given him a small fee reduction to $6600 inc GST to offset the normal risks associated with this stage.
Barbaric has been popular with Queensland breeders who appreciate the chance to utilise a son of Champion Sire I Am Invincible and speedy juvenile Mimi Lebrock (Show A Heart), who is the granddam of this season’s Listed winner To Cap It All (Capitalist). He covered 86, 91, and 96 mares in his first three books at $8800 inc GST.
“We’ve given him a reduction as he’s coming into his fourth year with rising 2-year-olds. They’ve sold up to $90,000. Most of them went through the March QTIS Sale and he’s averaged more than the sale average which was pleasing. His book size has grown each year at the same fee for those seasons,” said Kruger.
Barbaric will stand for $6600 inc GST in 2025 | Standing at Lyndhurst Stud Farm
“He’s out of a Magic Millions winner who trained on and was a Group 1 performed mare, so we hope they’ll run early and then train on like her.”
Mimi Lebrock won two of her first three starts including the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic, then at three she added the Listed Sheraco Stakes and was placed in the G2 Surround Stakes as well as running fourth to Forensics (Flying Spur) in the G1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes. At four she won the G2 Tristarc Stakes and G3 Let’s Elope Stakes and was third in both the G1 Myer Classic (again to Forensics) and G1 Emirates Stakes.
Sixteen yearlings for Magic Millions
Like many farms presenting yearlings at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, the story from Lyndhurst Stud Farm is that many of their draft missed earlier sales due to injury or other minor issues.
“The pick of the bunch is Lot 1144 by Nicconi. He had a hiccup that stopped him going to January (Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale), so we held him back for this sale. He’s very forward, a correct type who looks like an early runner.” He is the first foal of winning mare I’m Gunna Cashew (Exceed And Excel) from an imported American family.
Jeff Kruger | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The draft includes four yearlings from the first crop of resident sire Barbaric. “They are all peas in a pod, the four colts,” said Kruger. “The pick of them is the Laura Magne. He missed his reserve at the March sale. We’ve got his 2-year-old half-sister in work and she’s been placed three times. He’s a brother to five winners.”
Gietz (Better Than Ready) is trained by Tony and Maddy Sears who own the 2-year-old filly in conjunction with Lyndhurst Farm. She ran second last week behind Bluish Hue (Flying Artie). The colt is Lot 1183 and his dam is a half-sister to G2 Sunline Stakes winner Laura’s Charm (Encosta De Lago).
“The colt from Another Potter is a really nice horse, there’s plenty of speed there, and he’s a half to two winners. He’s an early August foal and a particularly nice type. He looks like he’ll outrun his page.” Lot 1391 is out of a full sister to R. Listed Magic Millions 3YO Trophy-placed Sammy Sequalo (Sequalo), and his dam Another Potter has produced six-time winner A Good Chance (Love Conquers All) and recent winner King Potter (Rothesay).
The four yearlings by Better Than Ready include three fillies and a colt. The colt is well related, as Lyndhurst Stud Farm have sent his dam Freeze On The Run (Freeze) to Better Than Ready to replicate the two Group winners in the family, Port Lockroy and Alpine Edge who are both out of Freeze On The Run's stakes placed full sister Freezethemillions. “He’s the star of the draft on his page being a three-quarter brother to Better Than Ready’s second Group 1 winner Port Lockroy and to group winner Alpine Edge who won the McLachlan here. He had a few issues early on and we’ve fixed those. He just needed the time.”
Gallery: Some of the yearlings to be offered by Lyndhurst Stud Farm at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, images courtesy of Magic Millions
“The full sister to Better Get Set is a nice filly. She’s a bit different to Better Get Set, more like Queen Assassin who won eight races. It’s a mating that’s worked well with another metro winner too.” Lot 1268 is a full sister to Listed winner Better Get Set (Better Than Ready) and city winners Queen Assassin and Thatfeelsbetter who has won five times.
The rest of the draft includes yearlings by Brutal (NZ), Exceedance, Jonker, King's Legacy, and Spirit Of Boom.
