If ever a stallion deserves to be labelled ‘Mr Reliable’, it must surely be Master Of My Fate.
The Varsfontein sire never fails to provide owners and trainers with a rich seam to mine, and it seems not a week goes by where at least a number of his progeny visit the inside of the winner’s enclosure.
The Master’s maiden Gr1 winner Tempting Fate – won the Gr1 Gold Medallion (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
In fact, over the past fortnight, he has been clocking up the winners at a rate of knots, nine to be exact, with pride of place going to a brand-new stakes winner in the shape of juvenile daughter Splicethemainbrace, who stretched her record to a perfect three from three in last weekend’s Listed East Cape Nursery.
Not to be outdone, paternal half-sister Joy And Peace added to her sire’s red-letter day with a three-length doddle in the non-black type Oaks Plate.
That Master Of My Fate’s latest array of winners scored from 1200m to 2700m is without a doubt a mark of his versatility as a stallion.
As imposing an individual as his legendary sire, the son of Jet Master and champion Promisefrommyheart looked destined for the top on the track when he reeled off six consecutive wins capped by a peerless Gr2 double in the Premier Trophy and Peninsula Handicap.
Beaten just once when a troubled fifth in the Gr1 J&B Met, a tendon injury brought a premature end to his career and he was retired to birthplace Varsfontein Stud. He made quite a splash as the leading freshman sire by number of winners with eight winning two-year-olds, no mean feat, considering he never raced at two.
It took a while for Master Of My Fate to break through with a first Gr1 winner, but that finally happened when third-crop son Tempting Fate claimed the Gr1 Gold Medallion to become the eighth winner of this juvenile dash for trainer Dennis Drier, who incidentally, had also put the finishing touches on the strong-willed Master Of My Fate, a trait inherited by many of his offspring.
Tempting Fate was an overdue first Gr1 winner for the young stallion, given that first-crop son Twist Of Fate, a classic winner of the Gr2 KRA Guineas, had run second in both the Gr1 Cape Guineas and Gr1 Daily News 2000 and third in the 2019 Gr1 Vodacom Durban July. Second-crop daughter Driving Miss Daisy also came agonisingly close, with seconds in the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas, Gr1 Paddock Stakes and Gr1 Woolavington 2000.
Master Of My Fate’s third crop blazed a trail, for in addition to Tempting Fate, it yielded the Gr1 winning fillies Zarina and Sentbydestiny.
The former stunned favourite War Of Athena and future Horse of the Year Princess Calla in a humdinger finish to the 2021 Gr1 Garden Province Stakes, where under a driving ride, she burst on the scene to split the pair and claimed victory by the proverbial whisker.
The magnificent Master Of My Fate – ‘Mr Reliable’ (Pic – Jeremy Nelson)
Sentbydestiny earned her stripes with a stunning defeat of male rivals in the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes, whilst giving trainer Candice Dawson her first success at the top level.
That crop, which would eventually number seven individual stakes winners and also include Gr1-placed Scented Mistress, cemented Master Of My Fate’s place amongst the country’s leading stallions.
After entering the list of top ten sires when eighth in 2019, he has since rated amongst the elite top five and enjoyed his best season when runner-up to barn mate Gimmethegreenlight in 2021.
Splicethemainbrace is Master Of My Fate’s 24th individual stakes winner.
More to the point, he has shown no sex bias, his 24 stakes winners are divided between 14 males and 10 females.
Bloodstock agent John Freeman, who manages the stallion, commented: “Master always enjoys top support from his shareholders and his many fans amongst South African breeders. If you are looking for a sire that gets a good looking, big, strong, good legged yearling, look no further, Master is your man.”
On that note, buyers better look sharp at Master Of My Fate’s 24-strong draft destined for next month’s National Yearling Sale.
Amongst the colts are siblings to Gr1 Met runner-up Last Winter, Graded stakes winners Miyabi Gold and Ultimate Dollar (the latter by Jet Master), this season’s Gr2 Gauteng Guineas second Hotarubi and multiple stakes-placed Littlemarysunshine.
Master Of My Fate’s yearling fillies include full sisters to stakes-performed Princess Izzy and Peut Etre Moi, as well as siblings to Gr1 Thekwini winner Querari Falcon and Storm Bird Stakes second Fire ‘N Flames.
Incidentally, the filly out of Sail From Seattle mare Captive Lady is bred on the same cross as Splicethemainbrace.
