The 8yo Jet Master gelding True Master made light of his 62 kgs top weight when storming to a convincing victory in the topliner at the surface changed Fairview Friday meeting.
Luyola Mxothwa times it perfectly on True Master as Lyle Hewitson and Gimme The Stars get there too late (Pic – Pauline Herman Photography)
After a decision was made on Thursday morning to switch from the turf to the polytrack with rain falling over the region, the nine-race programme was thrown into disarray for form studiers – and was sadly also decimated with 26 scratchings.
But racing went ahead and the 8yo chestnut True Master, the oldest of the nine runners in the R99 000 Pinnacle Stakes, showed his enthusiasm for racing – overshadowing his more fancied stablemate It Is Written in the process.
Allowed to race in midfield by Luyola Mxothwa as En Gee Oh made the running, True Master slipped between runners at the 250m marker and pegged back Road To Indy before going on to beat the low-flying 4yo Gimme The Stars by a half length in a time of 108,56 secs.
Luyolo Mxothwa – good double on the day
It was Mxothwa’s second winner of a hat-trick on the day. Justin Snaith saddled a double on the day.
Gimme The Stars looks a horse to follow on both surfaces this season and made up many lengths in the straight.
Road To Indy stayed on well for third.
The 3 to 1 favourite It Is Written ran a one-paced sixth and just over 3 lengths off the winner.
A R1,2 million National Yearling Sale graduate, True Master, who races under different ownership from his early days, was bred by Varsfontein Stud and is a son of champion Jet Master (Rakeen) out of the very well performed Bushra (Badger Land) – a seven time winner from 1200m to 1800m.
He has won 11 races (best being the Gr3 East Cape Derby) with 10 places from his 42 starts for stakes of R848 380. That leaves him a good few rand short of his purchase price, but he looks to have some life in those limbs yet.
The dayglo yellow silks of owner Braam van Huyssteen were in the winner’s box four times on the afternoon- for three different trainers.
Trainer Yvette Bremner maintained her solid strike-rate and also had a good day saddling three winners.
