Ready Steady owner Jayven See put his faith in apprentice Cody Collis to win the 2025 King Of The Mountain aboard Steady Ready

‘Just put the boy on’. It took just five words to convince trainer Tony Sears that Cody Collis was the right man for the job aboard Steady .

Steady Ready slot holder Jayven See (right) was confident that Cody Collis could pilot his gelding to victory in last Friday’s $750,000 King Of The Mountain race in Toowoomba.

“Just put the boy on”.

These were the five words Steady Ready’s owner Jayven See said to Tony Sears when he and his co-trainer, daughter Maddy Sears, were considering who would steer the star sprinter in the $750,000 King Of The Mountain in Toowoomba.

Steady Ready’s connections were forced to come up with a Plan B after original choice Zac Lloyd was suspended for careless riding.

The “boy” See was talking about was 21-year-old apprentice Cody Collis, who pulled off the biggest win in his fledgling career in the King Of The Mountain on a bottomless track at Clifford Park on Friday night.

“There’s no better feeling – it felt like winning the Melbourne Cup,” Collis said.

“And to have a trainer that’s loyal like that, it’s not something you see all the time in the racing industry. Even that on its own can’t be forgotten.”

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Collis had already booked a short holiday to Bali to recharge his batteries when he was told the news that he would be riding Steady Ready in the rich King Of The Mountain for Singapore slot-holder See.

“Jayven See was the first to throw my name in the hat,” Collis revealed.

“He said ‘just put the boy on’, that’s what he said to Tony (Sears).

“Thursday last week he rang me and said ‘watch the replays and visualise where you’ll be in the running’.

“At the top of the straight I thought I had it in the bag. He (Steady Ready) didn’t have as much kick over 1200m. He was out on his feet that last furlong and I could hear them coming.

“I’m just lucky I had a tough horse underneath me and a real winner.”

It's Steady Ready's King Of The Mountain! ⛰️

He wins it in an absolute thriller for @CodyCollis03, giving @MS_SearsRacing Mountain win number 2! 🤩@SearsMaddy | @RaceQLDpic.twitter.com/kzfV0WS4oL

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 28, 2025

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Collis, who took a break from racing in 2023 and headed to Queensland’s west where he rode bulls and welded fences at Roma, said he needed a “little breather” in Bali after copping a seven-day suspension.

“But that was before I knew I was getting the ride on Steady Ready otherwise I would’ve stayed home and stayed focused,” said Collis, who arrived back in Australia just five days before the King Of The Mountain.

“I came back and rode a winner on the Wednesday (at Eagle Farm) beforehand and that gave me the confidence I needed to go into the King Of The Mountain.”

Maddy Sears said she was impressed with Collis’ calmness in such a high-pressure contest in horrible conditions on a Heavy 10 track.

“He handled the pressure well of riding one of the favourites in a $750,000 race,” she said.

“He was so composed before the race. He had a plan from the word go and he stuck to the plan. He couldn’t have ridden the horse any better, it was great to see him win a big one.”

Collis credits his mentor, former champion jockey Damian Browne, for helping guide him to a consistent 2024-25 season in which he has racked up 29 winners to sit sixth on the Brisbane metro jockeys’ premiership, albeit a long way behind leader and fellow apprentice Emily Lang (49).

“If I hadn’t been suspended as much as I have, I’d probably be a lot closer to Emily Lang in the premiership but I’m the only one to blame for being on the sidelines,” he said.

“Hopefully I can ride a few winners and catch her or go close, that’d be great.”

Originally published as Ready Steady owner Jayven See put his faith in apprentice Cody Collis to win the 2025 King Of The Mountain aboard Steady Ready