Steady Ready sizzles in return at Eagle Farm with King Of The Mountain ride up for grabs

Steady Ready made a stunning return at Eagle Farm ahead of his bid for redemption in the King Of The Mountain, but his trainers will have to find a new rider with Zac Lloyd suspended.

Steady Ready scores a commanding win under Cody Collis at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

Tony and Maddysen Sears will need to find a new jockey for exciting sprinter Steady Ready for the $750,000 King Of The Mountain slot race in Toowoomba after Zac Lloyd was suspended in Sydney on Saturday.

Multiple Group 1-winning young gun Sydney jockey Lloyd had been booked to ride Steady Ready in the rich slot race in Toowoomba after the speedy Queensland galloper sizzled at Eagle Farm.

The Tony and Maddysen Sears-trained rocket was backed for a stack ($3.20 into $2.30) when resuming in the Open Handicap over the slick 1000m trip at Eagle Farm.

He didn’t have it easy in the early stages as his rivals kicked up inside him and backers would have been sweating, with the sprinter out in the cheap seats.

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But apprentice jockey Cody Collis kept his cool and kept Steady Ready in a comfortable rhythm and he went to the lead in the straight and won easily in the end by more than a length.

Steady Ready finished third in the King Of The Mountain (behind stablemate Yellow Brick) in the first year the slot race was staged and then finished runner-up behind Group 1 winner Rothfire in the next running.

The now five-year-old gelding will get a golden chance to take out the rich race over 1200m on his home Toowoomba track on Friday March 28.

It is the first year the slot race has been opened up to all comers after previously being restricted to only Queensland-bred and trained horses and locally based jockeys.

Star Sydney jockey Lloyd was set to ride Steady Ready in the re-imagined race which has a new spot on the racing calendar to coincide with the Toowoomba Royal Agricultural Show holiday.

Steady Ready cruises to victory at Eagle Farm for @SearsMaddy! 👌 pic.twitter.com/Uz0vtIT67n

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 15, 2025

However, he was suspended at Sydney’s Rosehill meeting on Saturday, meaning the Sears’ will need to find a new jockey if Lloyd’s pending appeal is unsuccessful.

Regardless, they are certain they have a sprint weapon of a horse primed to take out the slot race.

“I think this horse is going better now than the two times he has previously run in The King Of The Mountain.

“Today, I just told the jockey before the race not to panic if he didn’t lead, he doesn't have to.

“I knew half the field would be trying to kick up inside him.

“This horse is not that easy to train, he’s had his problems over the years, but he is a horse who is very close to my heart.”

While Zac Lloyd will ride Steady Ready next start, his brother Jaden was back in town as a winner when $41 roughie Financially Famous stunned punters in the QTIS 2YO Handicap at Eagle Farm.

The Louise White-trained rookie filly was beaten a long way in a trial earlier this month but benefited from a frantic speed upfront when she made her debut at Eagle Farm.

“They went flat out upfront,” Jaden Lloyd said.

“That sort of helped me as I missed kick a little bit and I was out of speed battle and travelling really well.”

Originally published as Steady Ready sizzles in return at Eagle Farm with King Of The Mountain ride up for grabs