Sears stable devises steady and secret plan for KOTM

By Jordan Gerrans

The local Sears’ will bring the old and new from their team as they aim to become the first stable to win two King of the Mountain crowns later this month.

The father-and-daughter combination of Tony and Maddysen Sears claimed the first KOTM title at Clifford Park when boom galloper Yellow Brick was victorious.

They went close to being back-to-back champions of their new feature hometown race when Steady Ready fell just short to Rothfire in the 2024 edition of the contest.

Steady Ready will be back for another crack at the $750,000 slot race while stable newcomer Secret Plan has also been confirmed for the March 28 event.

Steady Ready will again compete in Jayven See’s slot.

See owns the five-year-old son of Better Than Ready who has contested every KOTM so far.

He finished third in the inaugural event when beaten by stablemate Yellow Brick.

Steady Ready heads to Eagle Farm on Saturday in the Open Handicap over 1000 metres in his first-up effort since late December of last year.

“He is going enormous,” co-trainer Tony said.

“He will go around on Saturday in town in Brisbane and will use that run for fitness and then he will be right for the King of the Mountain.”

Yellow Brick will be targeted towards the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap later this year instead of chasing a second KOTM crown.

Co-trainer Maddysen says she believes the stable have Steady Ready going as well as he ever has ahead of his third KOTM tilt.

With Steady Ready running in See’s slot, the Sears camp have their own slot and have decided to select former Sydney galloper Secret Plan with it.

Secret Plan was previously prepared by Richard Litt and made a few northern trips to the Sunshine State in 2024 where he raced well, which instigated the permanent stable shift north to the Sears team.

The seven-year-old is now based at the Sears’ Gold Coast satellite stable.

“The owners really wanted us to have a crack with him,” Maddysen said.

“He is an older horse but he has raced very well in the past in Queensland.

“He had a nice big spell before he came up and he has come up now and it looks like he has flourished since he had been here.”

In the first two editions of the KOTM, the race was restricted to Queensland-bred and trained horses, with only locally-based hoops riding.

The reimagined race is now open to all horses aged three and older, with trainers and jockeys from across the nation now eligible to take their place.

The changes to the race conditions opened the door for gallopers such as the Victorian-owned Millane and Secret Plan, who is raced by Monarch Bloodstock, to gain a slot.

While Secret Plan did not win in his four Sunshine State efforts last year, he raced consistently and was around the mark, with Maddysen believing the son of I Am Invincible will be competitive in the KOTM.

“He brings very different form lines, as well,” Maddysen said.

“It will open it up a bit more, to say the least. I know the type of horse you need to have to win the race and I definitely think the two we have got in it are very genuine top three, at least, chances.

“We are really excited about the two we have got in the race and I think they will be very, very competitive.”

Secret Plan is a three-time winner from eight first-up assignments - with two more minor finishes - and that is how the stable will tackle the KOTM.

The seven-time career winner - Secret Plan – had a jump-out at Aquis Park on the Gold Coast on Wednesday with Maddysen pleased with what she viewed.

“He went very well, I was very impressed with him,” she said.

“It will be a matter of fine-tuning him and getting him ready to go for the King of the Mountain.

“He has a great first-up record the horse so that was why we wanted to do it this way and we have it earmarked for him for a month or so now.

“He is coming along really nicely and he is a horse that I am pretty excited about to be honest.”

The KOTM will serve as the ideal lead up to the Queensland Racing Carnival’s feature sprint races, commencing with the Group 2 Victory Stakes on May 3.

The KOTM card will also include the $125,000 Pat O’Shea Plate for two-year-olds, as well as the $100,000 King of the Mountain Consolation.