David Thiselton

The R500,000 WSB Grand Heritage saw another big crowd enjoying themselves at the Vaal and produced its usual thrilling finish with the Diane Stenger-trained Mastership proving why he is held in such high regard and giving Marco van Rensburg a third success in the race that has the biggest field in South African racing.

Bred by the father and son partnership of Cecil & Dr Gary Baitz, the five-year-old Master Of My Fate gelding had been a supplementary entry for this year’s Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup.

However, middle distances had seemed beyond him, because sandwiched in between a 1600m and 1500m victory in October and December respectively this year was a 3,95 length fourth over 1800m.

He was given a four point raise for the 1500m win, but the key was that this long-striding sort had seem to have come into his own since being applied with blinkers and since being ridden by Van Rensburg.

Since blinkers had been fitted he had finished a close third to Obisidian over 1600m and then had the sequence of those two wins over 1600m and 1500m, with the 1800m fourth in between, and he was ridden by Van Rensburg in those last three races.

The Grand Heritage is a far cry from the Summer Cup, so the starting price of 10/1 was good value from a draw of eight on a day in which the course had been immaculately prepared, meaning there appeared to be no significant draw bias.

Three-year-old Yippie Kay Yay for the in-form Mike and Mathew de Kock yard started favourite in the 21-horse field and looked fit and well in the parade ring, but then played up on the way to the start.

 Obsidian and Master Christmas were 8/1 shots. but the former was going to have to overcome a three point raise for a narrow win last time, while the latter did not impress going down to the start.

Pressonregardless was also 8/1 and looked a picture going down under Richard Fourie, but carrying 59,5kg off a 104 merit rating was not going to be easy.

The Nathan Kotzen-trained raider Rollotheviking came in for support to start at 25/2, while the local Highveld horse Birthright came in for a lot of support to also start at 25/2.

Mastership pinged the gate and from a prominent position and without cover he drifted towards the outside, which is often perceived to be the better going down the Vaal straight.

However, Savanna Valjalo had stuck to her station on the 100/1 outsider Sonic Jet from draw ten and this proved there was no great bias as he held the lead until the 200m mark and kept plugging on.

Rollotheviking had been trapped travelling well behind a wall of horses on the outside rail, but fortunately the running on 100/1 outsider Bob’s Your Uncle shifted inward under pressure and Rollotheviking was able to burst through running on strongly under Muzi Yeni.

Some would have viewed Rollotheviking as unlucky, but Mastership was being eased at the line and still won by 0,80 lengths from the KZN raider.

Bob’s Your Uncle was a 1,10 length third with Sonic Jet beaten 1,30 lengths into fourth and Obsidian a 1,50 length fifth.

Yippee Kay Yay made some late progress to finish ninth, but both Pressonregardless and Birthright were unable to find extra after sitting off the pace and they finished 17th and 15th respectively.

Mastership was another triumph for Varsfontein Stud-based sire Master Of My Fate, whose classy son Jan Van Goyen won the prestigious Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas the previous Saturday. The Jet Master stallion is now lying in third place on the national log behind the two champions Vercingetorix and Gimmethegreenlight.

Mastership was bought for R300,000 at the National Yearling Sale by Scott Gaskell, who now owns him in partnership with Desiree de Andrade.

The pair have poured a lot into racing and this was their first feature winner.

The Baitz family purchased Mastership’s Argonaut dam Clear Sailing out of the Dennis Drier yard after her original owners, Robyn and Robin Muir, had decided to put her on the market as a three-time winner.

Clear Sailing has done well at the Sales and at the August Two-year Sale last year her Rafeef daughter Sistership, who has finished second in both of her starts for Alec Laird, fetched R800,000.

Marco van Rensburg’s previous two wins in the Grand Heritage were on Stuart Pettigrew-trained horses, Soldier On in 2018 and ExpressfromtheUS in 2020.