Faustus flying for More Than Ready

Vinery champion More Than Ready staked his claim for a third Golden Slipper after the brilliant debut of Faustus at Rosehill on Saturday.

More Than Ready has sired Golden Slipper winners Sebring (2008) and Phelan Ready (2009).  His record with juveniles is just as impressive in the USA with Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winners Pluck and More Than Real.

Last week, Vinery owner Tom Simon announced More Than Ready’s Kentucky fee will rise to $60,000 in 2012.

Faustus (2c More Than Ready – Living Hell by Danehill) was too good for what appeared to be a quality field of youngsters at Rosehill.  He tracked Kuchinskaya and gradually got the better of the front-runner to score by a half-neck.

The Gai Waterhouse trained filly Kuchinskaya (Red Dazzler) was game in defeat.  Darley colt Limes (Commands) was third home.

“We came here thinking he was a really nice chance,” trainer John O’Shea said.  “He’s a lovely horse with a beautiful action and we will tip him out now and come back in the autumn.”

Winning jockey Jim Cassidy was also impressed with the winner.  “He’s still very new and there’s unbelievable improvement in him,” Cassidy claimed.  “He’s a beautiful horse.”

Faustus is from a winning daughter of 1998 G1 Melbourne Cup winner Jezabeel (Zabeel).  He was a $290,000 graduate of the Strawberry Hill draft at the 2011 Gold Coast Magic Millions.

In other news, Vinery shuttler Congrats will have his Kentucky fee raised to $35,000 in 2012.  He is currently second on the North American second-season sires’ premiership behind Bernardini.

His Group 1 winning filly Turbulent Descent finished a troubled fifth as the short-priced favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint last week.

The Mike Puype trained filly has returned to the west coast and is being prepped for the G1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita on New Year’s Eve.