Greeting My Master fights back to win by half-a-length (JC Photos).
Greeting My Master produced an amazing fight back to retain the Gr 3 Betway Victory Moon Stakes for the Alec Laird yard at Turffontein Standside today (Moday), although the question was whether a contributing factor was the stamina capacity of the horse he came back at, Main Defender.
Laird won the 1800m event last year with Atticus Finch, who finshed well for a three length third in today’s renewal.
Both Greeting My Master and Atticus Finch are by the prominent Varsfontein Stud-based sire Master Of My Fate and Atticus Finch was bred by Varsfontein while Greeting My Master was bred by Syrilla Stud.
The 1800m event is often used by horses as a last gasp opportunity to qualify for the Betway Summer Cup, while others use it as a preparation event for the Summer Cup.
Greeting My Master might be supplemented before the final entry stage on 18 November.
However, the horses to take out of the race on the bare form are Main Defender and Purple Pitcher.
Main Defender was the half-a-length runner up despite having to give the progressive Greeting My Master 11kg and if they were to face each other in the Summer Cup Main Defender would be 6,5 kg better off.
Purple Picther, who finished fifth, was 3kg under sufferance with Main Defender on official merit ratings and was only 3,5 lengths behind the latter.
Main Defender is a 25/2 shot with Hollywoodbets for the Summer Cup and Purple Pitcher is 20/1.
Greeting My Master started 17/10 favourite and jumping from draw six was taken to the front by Chase Maujean.
Gavin Lerena, from a good draw of five, was able to get the rails position behind him on 5/2 second favourite Main Defender.
In the straight Main Defender followed Greeting My Master and was all over him until Lerena switched him out at the 400m marker and cruised into a lead of at least a length.
However, Greeting My Master, from the 200m mark onward, began making up ground on the leader. He got there cosily in the end.
Some might read it that Main Defender did not stay, but he will be having his third run after a layoff in the Summer Cup and will be carrying 3,5kg less weight than the 62kg he lugged today.
The winner of the race can not incur a merit rating raise of more than eight points and placed horses can’t go up by more than four points.
It will be interesting to see what the handicapper decides because it was Main Defender’s first attempt at the trip, while Atticus Finch is proven over this trip.
If Atticus Finch is used as the line horse then Greeting My Master might go up by six points and Main Defender might go up four points.
However, the handicapper might want to take a lenient view considering the 93-rated Thunee Player finished fourth, beaten 3,40 lengths, and was carrying the same weight as the winner.
If they do use Main Defender as line horse than Greeting My Master might just go up by a couple of points.
The former Gr 1 SA Classic winner Purple Pitcher was out at the weights and finished a four length fifth. If he is used as the line horse Greeting My Master will probably only cop a two point raise and Main Defender might be left alone on 129.
