Going Away! Master Plan and Kevin Shea are in command to win the Mango 2200
Alec Laird opened the Durban July day proceedings on a winning note when his Jet Master gelding Master Plan won the R300 000 Gr3 Mango 2200 in great style. The Champions Cup winner was piloted by Kevin Shea and won the traditional consolation event going away.
There are many who may have felt a touch of sympathy for Cape conditioner Greg Ennion, who won the Gr1 Champion’s Cup with the Jet Master gelding before losing him to the Alec Laird yard after a dismal effort in the J&B Met earlier this year.
Ennion had rated the 4yo very highly, but in the spirit of ‘cowboys don’t cry’, he would probably have been the first man to congratulate Alec Laird.
Laird produced the win for owner Fred Crabbia at Master Plan’s third start for him.
The pace was on from the break with replacement rider Nooresh Juglall taking Rocco’s Luck up to lead from Black Wing and Top Mark.
Taipan had to check quite badly at about the 1400m as Dubai Gina appeared to check off the heels of another runner.
In to the home run Juglall gave Rocco’s Luck his head, but the Australian bred gelding started drifting under pressure as Strydom sent Gold Onyx dashing through down the inside.
Delpech gave Patriotic Rebel his head at the 400m marker and the De Kock gelding looked a likely as he moved forward powerfully.
But the wily big race veteran Kevin Shea had been sitting with a handful on Master Plan though and he produced the Alec Laird trained gelding with a superbly timed run as he scythed through his field to win going away.
Master Plan started at 4 to 1 and won by 0,25 lengths in a time of 138,18 secs
Patriotic Rebel showed good improvement and ran on well, while Piere Strydom got Gold Onyx to stay on for third and wrest that cheque away from the gallant pacesetter, Rocco’s Luck.
Taipan never recovered from a check early on, while River Crossing and Black Wing disappointed their followers after appearing to have every chance.
Master Pan was bred by Varsfontein Stud and is by Jet Master out of the six time winning Royal Chalice mare Princess Polly.
Master Plan is a winner of 6 races with 5 places from 21 starts for stake earnings of R1 094 600.
The National Yearling Sale graduate cost R350 000 and may now go on to build on this confidence booster.
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Mango 2200 (July consolation) (SAf-G3) (7/6) Greyville, South Africa, July 6, R300.000, 2200m, turf, good, 2.18.18. 1 –MASTER PLAN (SAF), 61.0, b g 4, Jet Master (SAF) – Princess Polly (SAF) by Royal Chalice (SAF). Owner ALA Crabbia; breeder Varsfontein Stud; trainer AG Laird; jockey K Shea (R187.500) 2 –Patriotic Rebel (SAF), 52.5, b g 3, Stronghold (GB) – Rebel Qui (SAF) by Qui Danzig (USA) 3 –Gold Onyx (NZ), 58.0, br g 5, Black Minnaloushe (USA) – Egoli Lass (NZ) by Kaapstad (NZ) Margins: nk, 1¼, nose
