Cover image courtesy of Yulong Investments
Yulong Stud have negotiated a deal to shuttle More Than Ready's G1 Breeders' Cup-winning son More Than Looks (USA) from Lane's End in Kentucky.
The striking son of More Than Ready (USA), campaigned by Victory Racing Partners, broke his maiden on his second start in a Gulfstream Park event as a 3-year-old. Following a victory in a $127,000 allowance at Ellis Park, he competed exclusively at the stakes level.
His first black-type appearance came when he captured the G3 Manila Stakes at Belmont Park, defeating a deep field of stakes performers. He followed up that performance with a third in the G2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes, finishing behind eventual G1 winner Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). More Than Looks then delivered an emphatic 2.751-length victory in the $200,000 Jefferson Cup Stakes at Churchill Downs.
The late More Than Ready (USA) | Image courtesy of The Image is Everything
Returning to the races as a 4-year-old, More Than Looks exclusively contested in top level company. His first two starts of 2024 resulted in hard-fought second place finishes in the G1 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga and the G1 Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland.
Those two strong efforts set him up perfectly for an impressive run in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile, where he defeated a competitive international field featuring eight Grade 1 winners. His Breeders’ Cup victory brought his total earnings to US$1,870,715 (AU$2,946,000).
Comparisons to Sunday Silence
The Thoroughbred Report caught up with Vin Cox, General Manager at Yulong, after the exciting announcement.
“More Than Looks is by one of the best stallions we have seen shuttle to Australia in More Than Ready,” said Cox.
“He’s extremely good-looking and, as his name suggests, won some proper races, including the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile. Coupled with an outcross pedigree, More Than Looks provides huge appeal to the Australian market, and we are delighted to stand him at Yulong in 2025.”
Vin Cox | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“While I haven’t seen him in person, my good friend David Ingordo raves about what an outstanding looking horse he is,” Cox said.
Thoroughbred Daily News spoke to Ingordo shortly after his retirement to Lane's End Farm, who talked highly of his physicality and speed attributes.
“When people come to see More Than Looks and he comes out of the stall, he grabs people's eye,” said Ingordo. “There have been two other people who have said that he reminds them of Sunday Silence and I never tell anybody what I thought, so it's kind of interesting that people who have good opinions think the same thing.”
“There have been two other people who have said that he reminds them of Sunday Silence and I never tell anybody what I thought, so it's kind of interesting that people who have good opinions think the same thing.” - David Ingordo
As a great-grandson of Halo (USA), sire of Sunday Silence (USA), More Than Looks’ comparison to the Japanese supersire adds an intriguing layer to his story. Renowned for passing on an electrifying turn of foot to his progeny, Sunday Silence set a benchmark for acceleration—an attribute that Ingordo enthusiastically highlighted in More Than Looks.
“You don't see horses anywhere, but especially American turf horses, have the kind of turn of foot that More Than Looks had,” said Ingordo.
“You don't see horses anywhere, but especially American turf horses, have the kind of turn of foot that More Than Looks had.” - David Ingordo
“The turn of foot that he showed in that race is something a stallion has to have. You have to have speed and if he can impart that on his offspring, he can emulate his sire More Than Ready in being a top stallion.”
More Than Ready's impact
More Than Ready, needs no introduction to Australia. He has been a global success, siring an outstanding 2321 winners worldwide at an impressive 72 per cent winners-to-runners ratio. Among those winners are 232 stakes winners, achieving an excellent 7.2 per cent stakes winners-to-runners ratio, especially taking into account the magnitude of the numbers.
His Australian progeny have excelled at the highest level, including two G1 Golden Slipper winners, Sebring and Phelan Ready, a G1 Blue Diamond heroine in Samaready, and the eight-time Group 1-winning Champion filly More Joyous. In total, More Than Ready’s southern hemisphere crops have produced 96 stakes winners. His 232 worldwide stakes winners is the fourth-highest total of all time worldwide.
Better Than Ready | Standing at Lyndhurst Stud
Of course, his record as a sire of sire is of importance when a new sire son is announced, and More Than Ready has ticked that box as well, with sons Sebring and Better Than Ready proving to be top level stallions in Australia.
“The More Than Ready factor is what immediately stands out,” said Cox. “His influence in Australia has been quite stunning, and the legacy of More Than Ready continues through this horse, we are looking forward to getting him to Australia.”
Bred by Hinkle Farms, More Than Looks is out of the black-type winning Ladies’ Privilege (USA), a daughter of Champion juvenile sire Harlan’s Holiday (USA). She is a sister to multiple Graded winner Takeover Target (USA) and hails from the family of Group 1 winner Critical Eye (USA)(Dynaformer {USA}).
