Ready To Rush Aiming for The Kosciuszko in 2026 After Brilliant Randwick Victory

Ready To Rush Aiming for The Kosciuszko in 2026 After Brilliant Randwick Victory

Sometimes the most exciting racehorses are not the ones whose careers follow a perfect path.

Sometimes they are the horses that overcome adversity, test the patience of everyone around them and eventually emerge on the other side with their ability intact and their determination stronger than ever.

For Ready To Rush, that journey could now be leading towards one of the biggest races on the New South Wales racing calendar — the $2 million Kosciuszko at Royal Randwick.

The talented Kurrinda Bloodstock-owned mare, trained at Goulburn by Matthew Dale, thrust herself firmly into the Kosciuszko conversation with an outstanding victory in the TAB Highway Handicap over 1000 metres at Royal Randwick on 8 August 2026.

It was only the fourth race start of her career.

It was her third victory.

And considering everything Ready To Rush has overcome simply to reach the racetrack, it may have been the most important performance of her career.

The five-year-old daughter of Better Than Ready now boasts the outstanding record of four starts for three wins and a second, with $90,750 in prizemoney.

But statistics alone do not tell the Ready To Rush story.

This is a mare who has undergone three knee surgeries.

At various stages there were legitimate questions about whether she would ever make it back to the races.

Instead, patience from Kurrinda Bloodstock and her ownership group, combined with careful management from Matthew Dale and his team, has allowed Ready To Rush to fulfil some of the ability connections always believed she possessed.

Now the dream has become considerably bigger.

Could Ready To Rush earn a place in The Kosciuszko in 2026?

After what she produced at Randwick, the possibility deserves serious consideration.

From Highway Winner to Kosciuszko Contender

Before Ready To Rush’s Randwick victory, Matthew Dale admitted she had not been a horse he was seriously considering for The Kosciuszko.

That changed after the race.

Ready To Rush returned from a break to tackle the Class 3 Highway Handicap over 1000 metres on a Soft 5 track.

Drawn barrier one and carrying just 54 kilograms under Rachel King, she settled fifth in running before King presented her at the right moment.

Ready To Rush responded.

She accelerated strongly and fought through the line to defeat Sneaky Pee Cee, stopping the clock at 57.65 seconds.

For a mare returning from another lengthy interruption, it was an exceptional performance.

But perhaps more important than the victory itself was what it demonstrated.

Ready To Rush had come back.

She was sound enough to perform.

She had retained her speed.

And despite having so little racing experience, she looked like a mare who still had considerable improvement ahead of her.

Suddenly, The Kosciuszko was no longer an unrealistic dream.

It was a target worth discussing.

Three Knee Surgeries and Still Winning

Understanding Ready To Rush’s potential requires understanding what she has overcome.

Most racehorses never reach their full potential.

Injury is one of the unfortunate realities of thoroughbred racing, and when a young horse suffers repeated setbacks, owners and trainers face difficult decisions.

Ready To Rush has undergone three separate knee surgeries.

Matthew Dale acknowledged after her Randwick victory that there had been discussions about whether they would even be able to get her back to racing.

That makes her record extraordinary.

Despite those setbacks, Ready To Rush has been beaten only once in four starts.

And even then, she finished second.

Three wins.

One second.

No unplaced runs.

That is an outstanding record for any horse.

For one that has undergone three knee operations, it says an enormous amount about her natural ability and competitive spirit.

Patience From Kurrinda Bloodstock Pays Off

Racehorse ownership can test patience.

When a horse has ability, the temptation is always to get it onto the racetrack as quickly as possible.

But sometimes the best decision is to wait.

Kurrinda Bloodstock and the wider ownership group behind Ready To Rush have been forced to do exactly that.

Matthew Dale specifically credited the owners following the Randwick victory for giving him the time required to manage the mare properly.

There was no pressure to rush.

No demand to chase races before she was ready.

The priority was getting the mare healthy.

That patience is now being rewarded.

For Kurrinda Bloodstock Syndications, Ready To Rush represents an important part of what racehorse ownership is really about.

Not every journey is straightforward.

Sometimes owners need to endure setbacks before experiencing the moments they dreamed about when they originally purchased their share.

Standing at Royal Randwick watching Ready To Rush charge to victory would have made every frustrating month worthwhile.

If she can eventually reach The Kosciuszko, the journey will become even more remarkable.

Purchased as a Yearling With Potential

Ready To Rush was purchased for $100,000 by Kurrinda Bloodstock and Matthew Dale Racing from Yarramalong Parkat the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Book 2.

She was selected as an athletic young filly with the physique and pedigree to develop into a quality sprinter.

She is by Better Than Ready from the I Am Invincible mare Goldie River.

Better Than Ready has developed an outstanding reputation for producing tough Australian racehorses with natural speed.

He was himself a high-class sprinter and has subsequently produced performers including Group 1 winner Apache Chase, Alpine Edge, Chrysaor and numerous other talented gallopers.

The female side adds another layer of quality.

Goldie River is by champion sire I Am Invincible, one of the defining stallions of modern Australian racing.

It gives Ready To Rush a pedigree heavily influenced by speed.

And on the racetrack, that speed is beginning to become obvious.

A Remarkable Four-Start Career

Because of her setbacks, Ready To Rush did not begin racing until relatively late.

She didn’t make her debut until she was four.

But once she finally reached the racetrack, she immediately demonstrated what connections had been waiting for.

During her first preparation, Ready To Rush recorded two victories and a second from three starts in southern New South Wales.

That was encouraging enough.

But the Randwick performance took her profile to another level.

Country racing ability is one thing.

Producing it on a Sydney Saturday at Royal Randwick is another.

Highway races are intensely competitive.

They attract progressive horses from throughout country New South Wales, many from stables specifically targeting these races because of the substantial metropolitan prizemoney available.

Ready To Rush arrived first-up.

She had undergone another careful preparation.

And she won.

Four career starts.

Three victories.

A metropolitan Saturday winner.

For a five-year-old with so little racing behind her, the upside is fascinating.

Matthew Dale’s Unusual Training Program

Keeping Ready To Rush sound has required an individual approach.

Matthew Dale revealed that the mare is trained primarily from his farm outside Goulburn rather than through a conventional high-intensity racetrack program.

Ready To Rush does much of her work on the deep sand, while swimming and treadmill work form important components of her preparation.

There is a clear purpose behind the approach.

The objective is to build fitness while reducing unnecessary stress on her knees.

That program appears to be working.

The mare arrived at Randwick fit enough to win first-up over 1000 metres despite her limited racing.

For connections contemplating The Kosciuszko, maintaining that balance will be critical.

There is little point reaching the race if the horse has been pushed beyond her limits beforehand.

Ready To Rush’s campaign needs to be about getting her there healthy, confident and improving.

A Significant Piece of Trackwork Form

There was another clue before Randwick that Ready To Rush might have returned better than ever.

Dale revealed she had worked alongside two of his better mares, So You Pence and Rose Aye, in a jump-out.

Ready To Rush finished only around half a length from them.

The form received an immediate boost when So You Pence subsequently won on a Saturday.

That gave Dale confidence heading into Randwick.

And Ready To Rush justified it.

The episode also reinforces the feeling that her official rating and limited race record may not yet fully reflect her ability.

She simply hasn’t had enough opportunities to show us where her ceiling lies.

The Kosciuszko Dream

The Kosciuszko has become one of the great success stories of New South Wales racing.

The $2 million race over 1200 metres at Royal Randwick gives country-trained horses an opportunity to compete for enormous prizemoney on one of Australia’s biggest racing days.

The 2026 edition is scheduled for 17 October, alongside The Everest meeting.

For country owners and trainers, simply getting a runner into the race is an achievement.

Winning it can transform careers.

Matthew Dale knows that better than most.

He has already experienced Kosciuszko success and understands exactly what type of horse is required to compete in the race.

That experience could become extremely valuable when deciding whether Ready To Rush is ready for the challenge.

Can Ready To Rush Handle 1200 Metres?

One of the major questions will be distance.

Ready To Rush’s Randwick victory came over 1000 metres.

The Kosciuszko is 1200 metres.

But there are encouraging reasons to believe the additional distance could suit.

Ready To Rush doesn’t appear to be a mare that simply needs to lead and run.

At Randwick, she was able to settle behind the speed.

She travelled comfortably.

She waited.

Then she accelerated.

That racing pattern is important.

Horses tackling 1200 metres at a high level need to conserve energy.

If Ready To Rush can relax behind a strong Kosciuszko tempo before producing her finishing sprint, the extra 200 metres may actually allow her more time to demonstrate her ability.

Naturally, she needs to prove it.

But that is what her next few starts are for.

The Kosciuszko Selection Battle

Getting into The Kosciuszko isn’t simply a matter of nominating.

The race uses a slot-holder concept that gives winning ticket holders the opportunity to select eligible horses.

That means performance is only part of the equation.

A horse also needs attention.

Its name needs to be discussed.

Slot holders need to believe it can win.

That makes every lead-up performance important.

Ready To Rush’s Randwick victory was the first major step.

Another strong Sydney performance could significantly strengthen her case.

Winning again would make her extremely difficult for Kosciuszko ticket holders to ignore.

Why Her Profile Is So Appealing

Ready To Rush possesses something that can be particularly attractive heading towards a race like The Kosciuszko:

Untapped potential.

Many established horses have exposed form.

We know approximately how good they are.

With Ready To Rush, nobody can confidently say where her ceiling sits.

She has raced four times.

She has won three.

She has never finished outside the top two.

She has already overcome major physical setbacks.

And she has just won first-up in Sydney.

She could simply be a talented Highway mare.

Or she could be significantly better than that.

The next few weeks will tell us.

The Importance of Confidence

Matthew Dale made an interesting observation after the Randwick victory.

Ready To Rush is gaining confidence.

That matters enormously.

Horses learn through winning.

A mare that has spent much of her life dealing with rehabilitation and interruptions hasn’t had the same opportunity as most horses to develop through regular racing.

Ready To Rush is effectively learning on the job.

Every start teaches her something.

Every victory reinforces the lesson.

And as she becomes more experienced, she should become more professional.

That is one reason her limited racing can be viewed positively rather than negatively.

There may be considerable natural improvement still to come.

A Kosciuszko Story People Can Get Behind

The Kosciuszko has always been about more than simply finding the fastest country horse.

It celebrates regional racing.

It celebrates country trainers.

It celebrates owners who support the industry outside the major metropolitan centres.

Ready To Rush fits that story beautifully.

A mare trained at Goulburn.

Owned by a large syndication group headed by Kurrinda Bloodstock.

Three knee surgeries.

A career delayed until four years of age.

Questions about whether she would ever race again.

Then three victories from four starts.

Then a Saturday win at Royal Randwick.

And potentially, a shot at $2 million on Everest Day.

It is exactly the type of story racing produces better than almost any other sport.

What Needs to Happen Next?

There remains plenty of work ahead.

Ready To Rush isn’t guaranteed a Kosciuszko start.

Her Randwick victory put her into the conversation.

Now she needs to remain there.

Connections need to choose her next races carefully.

She needs to prove herself as the distances and opposition become stronger.

Most importantly, she needs to remain sound.

With her history, that will always be the first priority.

The objective shouldn’t be to squeeze as many races as possible into the next seven weeks.

The objective should be to arrive at the right races with a healthy horse capable of performing at her best.

If that means a lighter preparation, so be it.

Ready To Rush has already demonstrated what patience can achieve.

There is no reason to abandon that philosophy now.

Kurrinda Bloodstock Chasing Another Big-Race Dream

For Kurrinda Bloodstock, the possibility of Ready To Rush contesting The Kosciuszko provides another exciting opportunity for its ownership group.

Racehorse syndication is built around shared experiences.

Owners celebrate victories together.

They experience setbacks together.

And occasionally they find themselves involved with a horse capable of taking them onto one of Australia’s biggest racing stages.

Ready To Rush has already provided her owners with an extraordinary journey.

But imagine the atmosphere if she walks into the Royal Randwick mounting yard on 17 October as a Kosciuszko runner.

Thousands of racegoers.

A $2 million race.

Everest Day.

One of the biggest meetings on the Australian racing calendar.

And a mare who once faced doubts about whether she would ever race again standing there with a legitimate opportunity.

That is the dream.

Could She Actually Win The Kosciuszko?

There is a substantial difference between being a Kosciuszko contender and being capable of winning the race.

Ready To Rush still has to prove she belongs at that level.

But there are reasons for optimism.

She possesses natural speed.

She can settle behind horses.

She has demonstrated acceleration.

She is lightly raced.

She continues improving.

She is trained by a horseman who understands The Kosciuszko.

And perhaps most importantly, she knows how to win.

Three victories from four starts is not accidental.

The next step is demonstrating that same winning attitude against stronger opposition.

If she does, her Kosciuszko claims will become considerably more serious.

From Survival to Opportunity

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the Ready To Rush story is how quickly the conversation has changed.

Not long ago, connections were wondering whether three knee surgeries had ended her racing career before it had really begun.

Now they are discussing a $2 million race.

That is racing.

Fortunes change quickly.

Months of rehabilitation can eventually produce 57 seconds of exhilaration at Randwick.

One victory can transform a campaign.

One horse can reward an ownership group for years of patience.

Ready To Rush has already done that.

Anything from here is another chapter.

Final Thoughts: Ready To Rush Is Ready to Dream

The road to the 2026 Kosciuszko is still unfolding, and Ready To Rush has plenty left to prove.

But after her brilliant Royal Randwick victory, she has earned the right to be part of the conversation.

Four starts.

Three wins.

One second.

Three knee surgeries.

One remarkable comeback.

Those numbers tell a story of both talent and resilience.

Trainer Matthew Dale admitted Ready To Rush wasn’t originally part of his Kosciuszko thinking.

After Randwick, that changed.

And perhaps that is the greatest compliment of all.

Ready To Rush forced the conversation.

She did it with her performance.

For Kurrinda Bloodstock and her ownership group, the coming weeks promise to be enormously exciting. Every gallop, every race and every decision potentially moves the mare another step towards Royal Randwick on 17 October.

There are more established Kosciuszko contenders.

There are horses with higher ratings.

There are horses with considerably more experience.

But very few possess the untapped potential of Ready To Rush.

After everything she has overcome, simply reaching The Kosciuszko would represent a remarkable achievement.

But connections will be dreaming about more than simply making the field.

Because winners keep winning.

Ready To Rush has won three of four.

And if her Randwick performance is an indication of what lies ahead, this tough, talented and lightly raced mare may only just be getting started.

Why Choose Kurrinda Bloodstock?

With years of experience and a strong reputation across Australia, Kurrinda Bloodstock is trusted for its transparency, communication, and commitment to owner satisfaction. Their syndication process is designed specifically to make newcomers feel welcome and informed.

From selecting quality horses with proven trainers to ensuring every owner feels valued, Kurrinda goes the extra mile to deliver a rewarding ownership journey. Whether you’re dipping your toes into the sport or looking to build a racing portfolio, their friendly and professional team is here to help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOinCPqkH4w

Ready to Start Your Ownership Journey?

Owning shares in a race horse is one of the most thrilling experiences you can have. With Kurrinda Bloodstock, you’re not just buying a share — you’re joining a supportive community that lives and breathes racing.

From your first registration to the roar of the crowd on race day, every step is designed to be exciting, transparent, and stress-free.

Ready to learn more?

 Visit Kurrinda Bloodstock or contact us today to register your interest and take the first step towards owning a share in your very own racehorse.

Ready to Buy a Racehorse Share?

At Kurrinda Bloodstock, we believe in making thoroughbred ownership exciting, inclusive, and hassle-free. Whether you’re dipping your toes into racing for the first time or looking for your next thrilling venture, there’s never been a better time to buy a racehorse share.

Explore our current horses, read more about syndication, and take the first step toward owning a slice of the action.

Contact us today to learn more or reserve your share in our next champion.

Start Your Racing Journey with Kurrinda Bloodstock:

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a racehorse, now is the perfect time to get involved. Kurrinda Bloodstock offers exclusive opportunities to join well-managed racing syndicates and experience the thrill of thoroughbred ownership without the complexities of going it alone.

Contact us today to learn more about our available syndicates and how you can own a share in a high-quality racehorse. Let’s turn your racing dreams into reality

To view our current available Racehorse Syndicates click here:

Kurrinda Bloodstock Syndications stands out as a trusted and proven syndicator in the world of Australian horse racing.

With a reputation built on integrity, transparency, and success, Kurrinda Bloodstock offers everyday racing enthusiasts the opportunity to own a share in a racehorse and be part of something extraordinary.

What makes Kurrinda unique is not just their ability to source quality horses, but their commitment to making the ownership experience enjoyable and rewarding for all their clients.

The team at Kurrinda Bloodstock understands that owning a racehorse is not just about financial investment; it’s about the emotional journey, the thrill of competition, and the bonds formed along the way.

They take the time to educate their owners, ensuring that everyone involved understands the process, the risks, and the potential rewards.