Saturday, 31 March 2012: It could be a massive international weekend for champion sire More Than Ready with progeny by Vinery stallion seeking Group wins in Dubai and South Africa.
His Breeders Cup Turf Sprint winner Regally Ready is poised to lay down a big challenge in the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint (1000m) in Dubai against his Singapore based star
Better Be The One.
A G1 winner in Canada last preparation, the Steve Asmussen-trained Regally Ready was well below his best at his first in Dubai appearance when finishing down the track in the Meydan Sprint on March 13 but proved that all was well ahead of Saturday night with a superb trackwork session at Meydan this week.
More Than Ready's Australian-bred
Better Be The One was third in this race last year.
Reigning favourite for the race is Australian sprinter Ortensia, by yet another Vinery sire Testa Rossa.
Ortensia has won both of her two starts since joining the Messara camp culminating in her comfortable G1 Winterbottom Stakes defence on November 19.
The six-year-old mare is in Dubai on her way to the UK to contest the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
In South African Group One winner Gimmethegreenlightrt, a More Than Ready half brother to
Coolmore Classsic winner Ofcourseican, has been invited to compete at the prestigious Breeders' Cup meeting at Santa Anita later this year.
Gimmethegreenlight is favourite for Saturday's R2 million SA Classic at Turffontein but trainer Justin Snaith is concerned about the colt's wide draw in 16.
"The horse is doing very well and there are no problems with him but what is a big problem is the draw. We thought the field would scratch up but very little has come out," Snaith said.
"Gimmethegreenlight is fine over a normal 1800m but that distance coming from a wide draw, coupled with the altitude, is going to make it hard for him."
Despite those reservations Snaith says Gimmethegreenlight is in the same form that saw him win the G1 L'Ormarins Queen's Plate and finish third in the G1 J&B Met, the proof being an impressive win in the at Turffontein 13 days ago.
Despite being run at level weights, Gimmethegreenlight is 3.5kg clear on official ratings of the next highest, Mike de Kock's Dingaans winner Silver Flyer.
Gimmethegreenlight has won six of his 12 starts with four placings.
