Queensland-owned gelding Ready To Rip (More Than Ready) continued his fine start to life in Victoria with his fighting win in Saturday’s Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Ready To Rip joined the Peer Moody stable earlier this year. The four-year-old won at his Melbourne debut in the Listed All Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m) at Flemington on July 7 before posting his second straight Stakes victory Saturday’s $125,000 feature.
Jockey Luke Nolen was content to let Ready To Rip travel fourth early before the gelding rolled into contention rounding the home turn. Dusty Star (General Nediym) and Zamorar (Scandal Keeper) fought bravely but Ready To Rip proved too strong in the concluding stages.
Moody said Ready To Rip initially failed to impress the stable to a great degree but a strong track gallop on Tuesday had convinced him the rising five-year-old could be competitive in the Bletchingly Stakes.
“He’s been a bit of a surprise packet. I have got to say leading into his first-up run, he was a bit plain,” Moody said. He’s lifted at weight-for-age. He was second-up, they had him pegged as a little bit of a first-up specialist so he has done a good job.
“He has enjoyed the three weeks (between runs). His gallop Tuesday suggested he had lifted and his performance today showed that.”
Ready To Rip defeated Zamorar by a half-length while Dusty Star was another half-head away in third. The field ran the 1200-metre trip in 1:12.83, which included a last 600-metre sectional of 35.51 seconds, on a track rated as a slow (6). Ready To Rip started at $5 on track but paid $4.80 on the Victorian TAB.
Moody said Ready To Rip could continue his preparation into the early part of the spring with the gelding’s connections keen to capitalise on the soft tracks that currently abound in Melbourne.
“We’ll poke a bit further into the spring,” Moody said.
“He enjoys the sting out of the ground as well. If it stays a little bit damp for August, we should find a nice little race for him there somewhere.”
The win was Ready To Rip’s seventh from 19 starts with four minor placings. The $75,000 winner’s cheque pushed the sprinter’s earning to more than $380,000 for his owners – A Havig, Ripa (Mgr: R Greenup), S Bassingthwaighte, Dr J Bell, Mrs J Bell, G Scheu, A Wilson, Mrs V Wilson and R Widderick.