READY TO RUN HALL OF FAME
BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN; best MR 1.56.6
SIR LANCE; Best MR 1.56.7 1950m mobile
KAMWOOD CULLY; Best MR 1.57.5
FLEET MAGIC; 1:59.4 Gp 2 NZ Sapling Stakes, Ashburton 12 Feb 2005
PRESENTABLE; Best MR 2.00.5 NZ Record 2000m stand for 3yo's
FIERY FALCON; Best MR 1.56.6pl (1609m), 3yo Hanress Jewels 2008
PRESIDIO; Best MR 1.57.9 Placed
LONG LIVE AMERICA; 1.54.2
MR WILLIAMS; Best MR 1.56.7 1700m mob
CYCLONE CULLY; Best Mile Rate (United States): 1.51.6 Mile Mob
HIGHVIEW TOMMY; Best Mile Rate 1.55.2 Winner Group 1 Welcome Stakes; 2yo 2yo Harness Jewels 2008
LANERCOST; Best Mile Rate 1.56.3 2yo
OTHER WINNERS SOLD - READY TO RUN SALES 2001-2008
REUBEN; Best Mile Rate (United States): 1.55.6 Mile Mob
HUMOURIST; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 2.00.5 Mob
QUEEN PAOLA; Best Mile Rate 1:58.4
BADGIRL; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 1.59.6 Mob
MCLAUGLIN; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 2.01.2 Mob
LORD LAXON; Best MR 1.59pl
AEGEAN ISLAND; Best Mile Rate (United States): 1.59 Mile Mob
EXPEDIENCE; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 1.59.3 Mob
SUNNY BANNER; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 2.02.7 Mob.
WILLY HOLDON; trotter; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 2.08.7 (T) Mob
MOTARA; Best Mile Rate (United States): 1.56.6 Mile Mob
LIFE GOES ON; Best MR 2.00.6
GENERAL MAXIMUS; Best Mile Rate (United States): 1.56.6 Mile Mob
BADLEE; Best MR 2.00.3 placed 1700m mobile
SEAFIELD XTREME; 2.03.7 2600m mobile
STORM TOSSED Best MR 2.01.2 pl
MISTER TUBERTS; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 1.59.8 Mobke
FLAT BUSH; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 1.58.2 Mob
MIDFREW TAHOE; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 1.57 Mob
PURE PASSION; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 2.01 Mob
BAROMETER; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 1.58.4 Mob
DENZEL WASHINGTON; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 2.00.8 Mob
GOODSPEED; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 2.02.7 Mob
SHOUT THE BOYS Best Mile Rate (United States): 1.54.8 Mile Mob
BEN JOHNSON; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 2.00.8 Mob
STRATHFIRE; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 1.59.3 Mob
HEZALLCLASS; Best MR 2.01.3pl
YASSI; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 1.58.5 Mob
MAKO SPIRIT; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 2.00.1 Mob
U RIPPA; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 2.00.5 Mob
THE WAR CRY; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 2.04.6 Mob
BEAUFIGHTER; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 2.04.2 Mob
MIAMI ROCKET; Best MR 1.59.9
EXECUTOR; Best Mile Rate (Australia): 2.02.2 Mob
MYWAYORTHEHIGHWAY; Best MR 1.58.7pl (1609m mob)
SMOOTH SHIFT Best Mile Rate (Australia): 2.04.9 Mob
CHRISTIAN CHAPEL; Best mile rate 2.02.4 2200m mobile
SHIRLEY; Best mile rate 1.58.9 1609m mobile
FALCON'S IDOL; best mile rate 1.59.2 2000m mobile
JUST LIKE CULLEN; Best MR 1.58.8 2yo 1700m
MERCURIO; Best MR 1.58.7Pl 2yo 1609m
ZENTHURA; Best MR 2.01.3 1609 mob
SO WHATITSALLABOUT; Best MR 2.00.1, Australia
YOUR LUCKY DAY; Best MR 2.03.6, Australia
SHOT FROM THE HIP; Best MR 2.00.7, Australia
LIQUIDITY; Best mile rate 2.05.6
EXPOSED; Best MR 2.02.9, 2200m mobile
IM BORN TO RULE; Australia; Best MR 2.01.1
WESTERN GOLD; Australia; Best MR 1.57.6
GLENALVON; Best MR 1.59.7
SOLD READY TO RUN SALES 2001 - 2007
BLACK AVENGER; Best MR 2.07.1
HANNIBAL; Best MR 2.03.7 pl
COOL KNIGHT; Best MR 2.04.5pl
BABUSHLKA; Best 2.04.9
JACKSON JACKSON; Best MR 2.04.4
HANOVER FLYING HIGH; Best MR 2.01.6 pl
DARCHIAC; Best MR 2.05.3
MAJOR CLIVE; Best MR 2.06.3 Placed 1950m
ARTISSO; Best MR 2.03.7pl 2200m mobile
EXPENDABLE; Best MR 2.05.5
BOLD COMMANDER; Best MR 2.07.1
BALL OF HEATHER; Best MR 2:00.7
SIMPLY DEVINE; Best MR 2.05pl
McAUGHTRIE; Best MR 2.05.0
KAMWOOD RAIDER; Best MR 2.05.5 pl
CULLY'S LASS; Best MR 2.06.8 pl
STRIKE A LIFE; Best MR 2.01.3 pl
CULLENS BUTLER; Best MR 2.00.8
MY FANTASY; Best MR 2.01.4 2400m mobile
NICKY'S PURSUIT; best MR 2.06.7 2000m stand
GOOD VIBRATIONS; Best MR 2.00.4 2000m mobile
EVERYDAYSAGOODAY; Best MR 2.04.4pl
SHICK; Best mile rate 2.06.1 2400m stand
DUNCAN FINN; Best MR 1.59pl 2yo 1700m mob
LEGSTHATGOALLTHEWAY; Australia Best MR 2.02.7
MIDFREW BOULEVARD
THE POWER
PRETTY BALL GOWN
BETTOR STILL; Australia
KAMWOOD DAN
MISS DECEPTION; Australia
MACHETE;Best MR 2.10.1
MY MR MERCURY; Australia
STARRY STYX; Best MR 2.03.1
SHADY SU; Best MR 2.03.2
ELCDE
HIGHVIEW PHANTOM; Best MR 2.06.2
MIRACLE MACH; Best MR 2.01.3
CHRISSY STYX best MR 2.06.5
SPANISH MOSS
EYE BOLT
BRAEMOOR; Best MR 2.02.9
CULLENS IMPACT; Best MR 2.04.5
CULLENS PARTY; Best MR 2.01.2
CHRISTIAN CROSS
DANNY FISHER Australia
AMAZING ART;
ARDEN TETRICK;
BETTOR THAN MONEY;
BLEDISLOE;
BREE;
COMPOSITE;
CULLEN'S GUEST;
HIGHVIEW IMAGE;
MACH RAIN;
PATCH MCGUIRE;
PLACE YOUR BET;
POCKET REACTOR;
DOUBLE E TAKES HOME OVER $1 MILLION
On his own frank admission, Michael House 'slept like a log' on Wednesday night. It was the sleep of the just and the sleep of relief.
“I had worried a lot going into the Ready To Run Sale, especially for the last fortnight,’’ the West Melton horseman said.
House estimated he spent about “half a million dollars, perhaps a bit more,’’ one way or another going into the sale. A lot was at stake.
In the final analysis, however, he came out of it all smelling of roses with a total sale aggregate for 18 horses of $1,051,000 which was the big half of the sale aggregate of $1,741,500.
He reckons he doubled his money on horses he originally got from yearling sales but it wasn’t all plain sailing.
Fifteen of the 18 lots he sold were entirely his own and/or wife Michele’s. He was also associated with three other outside lots.
Three of his 18 were home-bred products and 15 were yearlings bought at sales to be developed for Ready To Run purposes.
“It was a goal in the back of my mind to top $1 million at the sale and luck also had to be on my side.’’
He ended up with an aggregate of his own that was slightly higher than last year’s entire sale aggregate of $1.16 million.
“I spent big money to get bigger money but I sure worried a lot.’’
House said he felt more relaxed once he got his rising 2 Year Olds into the cart and running along.
“It also helped when the Christian Cullens, especially Ohoka Arizona, hung in as two year olds.’’
Having said that, he was disappointed with the prices he received for two Christian Cullen colts from outstanding mares Ciccio Star and Blazing Spirit.
“Both were beautiful pacers who ran the trial times but I ended up losing out on them from what I paid at yearling sales…Sometimes it can be utterly confusing.’’
House was again reminded of one commercial adage. Buyers still seem to like first foals from producers. He sold three first foals, Lots 7, 20 and 42 for a total of $490,000.
When an idea is successful, the sky can sometimes be the limit. Michael House graphically illustrates that adage.
He can think outside the square in a visionary sense and is prepared to get his hands dirty and work extremely hard.
His wife Michele would like him to take a spell from Ready To Run affairs next winter but the passage of time will probably bring him back fresher and more focused than ever.
The entrepreneurial horseman loves a challenge more than any other factor in life.
He would like to look at the trotting category of his exercise, also concentrate on the USA scene.
The Ready To Run act is not all beer and skittles because it embraces three stages that are not always guaranteed and not always compatible.
Firstly, the right horse has to be identified, one that might reveal natural and precocious qualities.
Then it has to be turned into a race horse over the winter.
Then the hard stage of taking it out of the herd like situation of the paddock training and shutting it down in boxes after August filming until the sale itself in early October.
“Buyers want sleek, shiny, sharp and physically round and fat horses on actual sale day. A horse can lose condition in a box with loss of muscle bulk when not being extensively exercised as in the training situation.’’
“Michael House is a hard worker and a very good promoter. He does his horses well and can talk the talk,’’ senior PGG Wrightson standardbred representative Peter Lagan told Harnesslink today Thursday 11 October.
“Unless you promote yourself, nobody else will do it for you,’’ Lagan added.
Michael House has made the Ready To Run Sale his specialty and has succeeded admirably.
In the pursuit of perfection and profit, he certainly isn’t going to rest on his laurels.
Don Wright, Harnesslink.com
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