A CLOSE CALL, BUT READY TO PARDON GETS HOME

By Graham Potter | Thursday, February 29, 2024

The lightly raced Better Than Ready gelding, Ready To Pardon, came to Ipswich on February 29 with more trials under his belt than races, but he nevertheless was the dominant $1.26 race favourite when he lined up for the QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate over 1350m.

The David Vandyke trained runner had finished fifth on his debut back in June 2023 in his only start as a two-year-old, after which he was given a seven-and-a-half month break from race action.

He did, however, have four trials during that time ... between June 2023 and January 2024 ... before resuming at Gatton in a QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap over 1100m on February 8 where he finished second, touched off by the narrowest of margins by Five Star Vixen.

Here, at Ipswich, the finish was just as close ... with the difference being that this time the photo went in favour of Ready To Pardon, giving the Vandyke trained runner his first win in his third career start.

Ryan Maloney had Ready To Pardon well enough away sitting on the heels of the early leaders before being forced to ease in-between runners and slip back to fourth place, but still comfortably positioned, a little under three lengths off the lead.

Maloney held Ready To Pardon in that position until pushing forward into third place, two wide, on straightening.

There was more urgency from Maloney now ... and there needed to be as the $11 chance The Author, who had taken over the lead at the top of the home straight, was kicking on strongly up front, and she still had a two-length advantage over Ready To Pardon coming through the 200m mark.

With 100m to go that deficit was down to a length ... but The Author was not stopping and it required an extra effort from Ready To Pardon to gain that oh so narrow, advantage over the concluding strides to claim victory.

The win was nowhere near as clearcut as the betting suggested it would be, but, importantly, Ready To Pardon’s first career win was in the bank and there was plenty to like about how the very much inexperienced Ready To Pardon rose to meet a difficult challenge.

You would think he will only get better.

More articles