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Colt becomes stakes winner number four for Better Than Ready

Lyndhurst Farm-based Better Than Ready (More Than Ready) was handed his fourth stakes winner on Saturday courtesy of Alpine Edge’s (2 c ex Freezethemillions by Freeze) victory in the Phelan Ready Stakes (Listed, 1000m) at Eagle Farm, while the colt also handed his Deep Field (Northern Meteor) half-brother a valuable update ahead of him going under the hammer at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale next month. 

Stepping out for his first career start, the Team Edmonds-trained colt showed great heart to clinch a nose victory over Cochrane (Spirit Of Boom), while Baby Wong (Press Statement) was a further half a length further back in third. 

Trent Edmonds said the colt would now be set on a path towards the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m). 

“I was quite surprised to see him lead, but when the favourite was a little tardy away, he got there,” Trent Edmonds said.

“The horse from Melbourne (Rambeau) kept him honest for the entirety. It’s a big relief, quite an amazing feeling to be honest.

“This race has been good to us. I think that is our third win. He has a stack of improvement. He came here very soft today.

“He is a Magic Millions horse; we bought him at the Sunday session. We will follow the now tried and true path, giving him a week off, and he can start a week before (the 2yo Classic) then back up.  

“He has got a lovely big, long, lopping action. I think we are not going to see the best of him until a little bit later so whatever he is doing now is on raw ability.” 

Purchased by Edmonds Racing, Kestral Thoroughbreds and Lucky Clover for $160,000 out of the Yarramalong Park draft from Book 2 of the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Alpine Edge was the most expensive yearling by his sire to be sold at public auction in 2020.

The colt is out of Listed-placed mare Freezethemillions, who has already produced one winner.

Meanwhile, further back the colt’s third dam is Sweet Humam (Humam) - the dam of Group 3 sorcerer Golden Fox (Foxhound), while further back this is the same family as multiple Group 1-winning stallions Zeditave (The Judge) and Greys Inn (Zabeel). 

Yarramalong Park will offer the colt’s aforementioned half-brother at next month’s Gold Coast sale as Lot 1244, while this year Freezethemillions a brother to Alpine Edge and was covered again by the stallion in October. 

Alpine Edge joins Better Reflection, Jagged Edge and The Odyssey, who landed the 2018 edition of the Listed race and he stood at stud for a fee of $30,000 (inc GST) this season. 

Later on in the afternoon, Team Edmonds were provided with a second stakes winner when Usmanov (5 g ex Mining Tycoon by Redoute's Choice) saluted the judge in the Bribie Handicap (Listed, 1000m) and in the process became the 98th stakes winner for recently retired Coolmore Stud-based sire Choisir (Danehill Dancer). 

The five-year-old gelding stayed on strongly to beat Boomtown Lass (Spirit Of Boom) by a nose, while Sugar Boom (Spirit Of Boom) was another three-quarters of a length back in third. 

Purchased by Aquis Farm, Blue Sky Bloodstock and Toby Edmonds for $350,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Segenhoe Stud draft, the gelding is out of winning Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) Mining Tycoon, who is herself a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Bentley Biscuit (Peintre Celebre). 

Choisir was pensioned from stud duties earlier this season.