BETTA THAN PRESLEY'S CHART-TOPPING DISPLAY

By Graham Potter | Saturday, November 8, 2025

Talk about enjoying an overdue and well-deserved change in fortune!

The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Betta Than Presley had finished second (twice) and third (six times) in his nine career starts prior to taking on this Maiden Plate assignment over 1000m at the Gold Coast on November 8, so the win was very much in the offing.

Betta Than Presley faced the starter on the fourth line of betting at what would turn out to be handsome odds of $4.

Apprentice Bella Youngberry, who had partnered the son of Better Than Ready in his previous start in which he finished the closest he had even done behind the winner (0.50 lengths), again had the ride, bringing with her a more-than-useful 3kg claim, bringing the 58.5kg burden Better Than Presley had been set down to 55.5kg.

The four-year-old was also coming back in distance from 1200m to 1000m.

Betta Than Presley was squeezed out at the start and raced at the back of a fairly tightly packed field early. Youngberry then looked for a rails run … found it … and slipped through to fill third place halfway through the contest, racing just two lengths off the leader.

That deficit was down to a length approaching the home turn, but Betta Than Presley now has horses starting to make their runs to his outside, so he was momentarily at risk of being boxed in, but, as the leader shifted off the rail on straightening, Betta Than Presley was presented with a clear run following the shortest way home, and he needed no second asking, edging into the lead with 300m left to run.

The chasing pack were still close enough to apply pressure … that is until Betta Than Presley came a kick and accelerated smartly enough to put a winning gap on his rivals to score in comfortably fashion by a 1.80 length margin.

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