Plunge horse finally delivers after favourite stumbles

Takanini trainer Bruce Wallace finally had some racing luck fall his way with well-built, two-year-old colt Master Regent at Ellerslie.

The Deputy Governor-sired colt carried a stack of money in his race debut at Ellerslie on January 3 and only battled into sixth position behind Pulcinella.

Master Regent was heavily supported in his debut after an effortless trial victory against maiden gallopers at Cambridge on December 21.

Wallace had no option but to put Master Regent into the maiden trial to give the colt the experience of competing over a longer distance. The trial was run over 1000 metres.

After his debut performance Master Regent was found to have a huge haematoma on his ribcage after crashing into the starting gates.

At Ellerslie yesterday Master Regent took full advantage of the $1.90 favourite Promethean stumbling at the start and nearly falling on her nose, when scoring an easy victory in the $10,000 two-year-old event.

While Promethean had to chase the field to make up a conservative 10-length margin, Master Regent was well-positioned outside the leader and ready to challenge in the home stretch.

Master Regent strode clear of the field to win by 1 1/4 lengths over The Breaker with a further 1 1/4 lengths back to the fast closing Promethean (third).

"I've always had a big opinion of this colt but I was shocked at how short he was on the tote in his debut here earlier this month," said Wallace.

"Half of the people that live in Cambridge must have backed him after we took him down there to run him in a maiden trial before Christmas.

"Initially I was disappointed with his debut effort but he had a haematoma the size of my extended hand on his ribcage the next day so he must have bashed into the starting gates.

"He was an $80,000 purchase at the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale last year and he's always had athletic ability from day one.

"He'll line up next in the $500,000 two-year-old event [New Zealand Bloodstock Classique] at Te Rapa on February 5. He'll go into the Sires Produce Stakes [$120,000] at Ellerslie on March 5."

Master Regent is owned by Able International, a company formed by Wallace to manage the racing interests of the majority of his stable runners, which are owned by Hong Kong-based clients.

"Peter Chu is one of the owners and there should be a big group of them coming down to watch on March 5."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY