STEADY READY COMES UP TRUMPS

By Graham Potter | Saturday, July 4, 2026

The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Steady Ready reaffirmed the fine level of form he showed in the first two starts of his latest preparation when he claimed a strong, albeit a narrow win, in an Open Plate over 1000m at the Sunshine Coast on July 4.

The very speedy son of Better Than Ready came into the race on the back of third place finish … first-up … in the Bat Out Of Hell in a race won by the smart Flying Destiny who was saluting for the third time in a row and who would also go on to claim the Listed Chief De Beers in his next start.

Steady Ready then finished in second place, second-up, in the Listed Lightning Handicap over 1000m, coming home just 0.59 lengths behind the winner, Monte Supreme … this time having Flying Destiny behind him.

On the basis of those strong showings, Steady Ready jumped as the favourite in this latest assignment, but that was at a still generous starting price of $4.30 in an open betting race.

With Ryan Maloney taking the reins this time … Tommy Berry rode the six-year-old in his two previous starts … Steady Ready’s gate-speed was good enough to propel him into an immediate lead and Maloney was able to allow the Sears trained runner to control the race in comfortable fashion until the field turned for home.

You might have thought at that stage that Maximum Output, a $201 rank outsider who had tracked Steady Ready throughout in second place, might have cried enough … if you believed the price … but that was not the case as Maximum Output stuck on resolutely, matching strides with Steady Ready the whole length of the home straight.

Steady Ready was just as resolute. His leading margin for most of that run home was never more than a neck, but he stubbornly refused to allow Maximum Output to pass him and he still held an advantage at the finish, although the 0.10 length winning margin on the line was about as close as Maximum Output had got to Steady Ready throughout the contest.

The $31 chance Pre Eminence finished third, 1.91 lengths back without ever threatening the winner.

Steady Ready is now an eight time winner (with twelve minor placings) from twenty-nine starts, $1 311 525 in prize-money.

Steady Ready was a $70 000 purchase.

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