Summer Ready finds her white knight

By Jordan Gerrans

Warwick hobby trainer Darryl Knight was thrilled to see Summer Ready back up her recent strong form and break a long winning drought for the stable at Dalby on Tuesday afternoon.

The five-year-old mare had placed in her last three trips to the races as she has competed at Gatton, Beaudesert and her home deck of Allman Park in Warwick in recent months.

The daughter of Better Than Ready had long been knocking on the door of a maiden-busting triumph and she was able to do so in style at Dalby’s Bunya Park.

Englishman Fred Larson put Summer Ready to the lead in the early changes from his inside barrier and the mare powered away in the home straight to score by almost four lengths.

The 64-year-old Knight has considered retiring from training in recent years, but he was glad to see his hard work finally pay dividends with his mare, who he owns himself.

“I think she liked the Dalby track a bit more compared to Warwick the other day,” the hobby trainer said.

“She's been good, the mare. It's not easy to get horses up there to win and you've got to have a good horse.

“I think I've got one now that's obviously got that bit of extra performance in her. So, I'm really happy.”

Long based at Warwick in regional Queensland, Knight has dabbled in a few horses over the years while also working as a painter to pay the bills.

Summer Ready spent time in the stable of Knight’s daughter Dayna, who is based at Toowoomba, when the veteran hobby trainer was taking a break from training.

The 38-year-old Dayna has been around the sport for many years and has worked under top trainers such as Chris Waller and Pat Webster.

Summer Ready has been back with Knight at Warwick since late last year and her form has steadily improved before breaking her maiden status at her 19^th attempt on Tuesday.

It was Knight’s first win since the 2019-20 campaign.

“My daughter took her on for a bit,” he said of his mare.

“But, she wasn’t keen to keen training.  

"I know this mare has got something. So, I thought, well, I've got to carry on with her and now it's paid off.

“I've always worked a job; it's just been a hobby for me and been about the love of having a horse around. 

"That is the biggest thing for me.”

Knight is on the lookout for a race for Summer Ready to target over the coming weeks.

In previous campaigns, the mare had raced out to 2000 metres.

Knight believes around 1400 metres is her sweet spot as her recent purple patch of form suggests.

“She's definitely found her distance,” he said.

“I don't think many Better Than Ready horses are probably 2000 metre horses.

"So, I brought her back in trip and she's been able to show a bit of form, so it’s good.” 

The Knight stable enjoyed great success with former galloper Glenbawns Dutchess between 2019 and 2021 as the mare won four races and placed on several other occasions before her retirement.