Tara Laing found her best form at Fairview on Friday saddling a hat-trick of winners that included an impressive end to end win by the Australian-bred Readytogorightnow in the R150 000 Listed Memorial Mile.
Wayne Agrella rides a clever race to boot Readytogorightnow home in the feature (Pic – Pauline Herman)
Senior rider Wayne Agrella rode a finely judged race over the turf mile on the multiple stakes winning former Snaith galloper, who was easy to back at 20-1.
It was Agrella’s first winner in over a month
Wayne Agrella – great ride
Hindsight is an exact science – more so in racing, but the shrewdies may have considered including Readytogorightnow, who had tumbled from his career peak MR of 108, down to a more modest 94.
The former Gr3 Winter Guineas and Winter Classic winner was previously conditioned by Justin Snaith, but was having his sixth start for Tara Laing at Fairview when he struck gold on Friday. He is one of very few Laing runners who don’t race in the Mayfair Speculators silks.
For those that found him to beat the top-class Snaith duo of Jet Explorer and True Master, it was a race of fluctuating emotions.
The astute Agrella had him controlling matters out front ahead of Alghadeer and Kiss Me Hardy.
Appearing to come under pressure at the 350m marker, Readytogorightnow was cleverly given a breather by Agrella as Kiss Me Hardy went past him for glory.
But the Laing runner was bluffing and he drew off again to hold the late challenge of True Master by 2 lengths in a time of 96,77 secs.
Tara Laing – three winners and places to bolster a good day
The favourite Jet Explorer ran a typically honest race to run into third, ahead of Kiss Me Hardy, who may not quite have stayed the mile.
Bred by G J Moffitt in Australia, Readytogorightnow is a son of champion Southern Halo stallion More Than Ready and is out of an unraced Hurricane Sky mare, Storm Fronts(AUS). She hails from the same family of the brilliant Plattner sprinter, Joie de Grise.
A A$91 129 Inglis graduate, Readytogorightnow was purchased as a yearling by James Bester Bloodstock.
He has won 7 races with 11 places from 30 starts and took his stakes earned to R685 670.
Ms Laing’s other winners were the surprise package Cecil John in the fifth and former Charles Laird-trained Omega Onslaught, who won easily at his opening East Cape start after relocating from KZN.
