It’s the racing and breeding story that was predestined to come to a premature end yet a fairytale just the same, and one with a postscript.
It’s the short story of Masterprint, who died in Australia at age 11 on Christmas Eve and will be commemorated by a plaque at his place of burial on trainer Peter Smith’s Euroa Farm.
Like Red Rum and Mummify before him, Masterprint was buried standing up, facing the east.
Only the greats are afforded such rituals and Masterprint, while unraced, was indeed a great.
There will be a legacy, too. At least 40 of his progeny, aged from two to five, graze in the paddocks surrounding his burial plot.
Smith, a breeder, spotted an unraced and un-race-able two-year-old in a paddock at Blue Gum Farm, at Euroa, nine years ago.
The colt had a degenerative pedal bone injury that would never get better, only worse; hence his sombre burial the day before Christmas.
Hero Master, with part-owner Lachy Smith and trainer Peter Smith, has five wins to his name from nine starts
Aside from the ticking time bomb pedal bone the colt, by top sire Rubiton, was magnificent.
Smith bought him cheaply and decided to breed from him. Smith was broke but mustered up $500 for one mare, $600 for another and $2000 for another.
Those mares produced outstanding gallopers First Print, Hero Master and Play Master. In all, he had 20 winners from just 87 starters at a token fee of just $2000.
“His ability to upgrade mares was unbelievable. Progeny by other stallions out of those mares were useless. He upgraded them by 20 or 25 lengths,’’ Smith said.
The Masterprints had amazing airways and huge strides, Smith said.
Masterprint became a sire pet. Whenever Smith came by a quid, he’d buy another cheap mare and she’d pop out another Masterprint.
Smith is virtually a one-man band and a herd of sons and daughters of Masterprint are roaming paddocks, waiting to be tried when Smith finds the time. He says he’s been tempted to sell a few but can’t bear to, in case there’s a champion among them.
The time bomb pedal bone flared up close to Christmas.
The horse was to have his troublesome leg amputated from the fetlock and a prosthetic fitted; it sounds like science fiction but a common operation in the US.
“It cost $30,000 so you wouldn’t have it performed on just any horse,’’ Smith said.
The first stage of the procedure involved Masterprint being put under anaesthetic, his foot removed and a plaster applied before the prosthetic was flown in from the States.
“The procedure was a magnificent success but unfortunately he did not survive the anaesthetic,’’ Smith said. “My vet said it was a 300-1 chance.’’
“It’s very sad, he was my mate. But because of the pedal bone problem he was never going to have a long life. It was always going to get him in the end.’’
The lesson of Masterprint is that in racing and breeding there is no blueprint for success; that an unraced crock mated with ramshackle mares can produce smart city winners defies all breeding logic.
The legacy of Masterprint is in the paddocks at Smith’s farm and at Moonee Valley early this evening, when Hero Master, with his big lungs and big stride, carries number one saddle cloth in the fifth race.
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