Greatest Racehorses: Master Oats 505qv

Pedigree Details

Sire: Oats

Dam: Miss Poker Face

Dam’s Sire: Raise You Ten

Breeder: Robin and Scarlett Knipe

Foaled: 1 Jan 1986

Race Record & Factfile

Races: 21

Wins: 10

Owners: Mrs Hugh Maitland-Jones and Paul Matthews

Trainer: Kim Bailey

Profile

Kim Bailey. His career had already been derailed for 18 months through injury before a broken blood vessel after scoring at Uttoxeter on his comeback led Bailey to claim he had “never seen a horse bleed so badly”. A complete change in his training regime immediately followed and the tide began to turn - within another 18 months he had triumphed on nine more occasions and was on top of the pile in the staying chasing division. There would be just five more racecourse appearances until a further injury sustained while out hunting ended his career and led to a long and enjoyable retirement prior to his death at the age of 28 in 2012. “He was a very special horse,” said Bailey. “Winning the Gold Cup showed he was incredibly tough.”

1991/92 Season

Master Oats had one start in the pointing field with a then relatively unknown Henrietta Knight before embarking on a career under Rules. He already stood 17 hands high so bumpers and hurdles were immediately dispensed with in favour of fences. He went off at 33/1 on his debut at Newbury in a novice chase in November but was behind when pulled up before the third-last. He managed to complete next time at Wolverhampton in a similar event at the end of the following month though never threatened to win after losing touch from the ninth.

He was not seen out again for nearly four months but his comeback was a successful one in a maiden chase at Southwell, improving on what he had done so far but beating only two other finishers from a field of nine that set out. This was just modest form and jockey Marcus Armytage reportedly said to connections in the unsaddling enclosure afterwards: “You will be lucky to win another race with this thing”. Master Oats had one more start in his first season when he finished runner-up in a novice chase at Stratford in early May and would not set foot on a racecourse again until November of the following year.

1993/94 Season

Injury robbed Master Oats of a full campaign but he made a winning return at Uttoxeter on his first try in handicap company. He showed there was still plenty of potential, winning in convincing fashion despite suffering a broken blood vessel which forced his handler into a complete rethink over how the horse would be trained. Master Oats thrived, going on long hacks and slow canters to avoid serious work at home, and followed up in a similar event at Huntingdon in December when going right away from his rivals after an assured round of jumping. He was well ed to complete the hat-trick at Wincanton from a higher mark but went down by three-quarters of length behind Auction Law with the pair clear of the remainder.

It was a performance of a horse who still looked well handicapped and Master Oats continued to go the right way, ing an easy victory on his next outing at Lingfield before tackling better opposition stepped up to three and a half miles in the Greenalls Gold Cup, which had been switched to Kempton from Haydock. He progressed further, winning as he pleased by 15 lengths from Moorcroft Boy having quickened clear from the fourth-last. He stood out as an obvious Grand National contender and was sent off among the market leaders at Aintree at 9/1, but only got as far as the 13^th obstacle. However, he proved none the worse for his fall, totally outclassing his rivals on very favourable in a conditions chase at Perth.  

Major Races won

• Greenalls Gold Cup, Kempton

1994/95 Season

Master Oats looked better than ever on his comeback in early December, posting an enthusiastic victory in the Rehearsal Chase at Chepstow. He beat Dubacilla having gone clear before the home turn and it was obviously going to take a very good performance to lower his colours in the Gold Cup.

It was Dubacilla who again got closest to him at the Cheltenham Festival in March as Master Oats proved himself to be one of the best chasers in recent times, staying on resolutely up the hill having built a sizeable advantage after the second-last, triumphing once more by 15 lengths. It had not all been plain sailing as he had to overcome a couple of bad errors and jockey Alderbrook earlier in the week, said: “I am shell-shocked and really can’t believe it has happened.” The reality of clutching a pair of 50/1 ante-post vouchers would soon sink in also as Bailey added: “The money could pay for a new hostel for the lads!”

Master Oats still looked to hold excellent claims despite a welter burden of 11st 10lb when lining up as the 5/1 market leader for another shot at the Grand National. The faster ground was perhaps not ideal but Master Oats looked a little jaded anyway following his exertions at Cheltenham. He managed to dispute the lead with eventual winner Royal Athlete for much of the final circuit and crossed the line in seventh after tiring from the second-last.    

Major races won

• Rehearsal Chase, Chepstow
• Welsh National , Newbury
• Pillar Property Investments Chase, Cheltenham
• Cheltenham Gold Cup, Cheltenham

1995/96 Season

One Man in the King George VI Chase at Sandown.

He kept on from the home turn on ground less testing than ideal, but it was still nothing like the form of his Gold Cup display. He then headed to Ireland for the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February under Imperial Call as once again he put up a performance some way removed from the dominance he had shown the previous season. There would be no opportunity to defend his crown at the Cheltenham Festival either after a recurrence of a leg issue brought the curtain down early on his campaign. “I am glad it happened now and not during the race when it could have been a lot worse,” said Bailey.

1996/97 Season

It was a full year before Master Oats returned to action but he looked in good shape for the Grand National Trial at Punchestown and was sent off the 7/4 favourite in a field of nine over three and a quarter miles. Now 11, he didn't look the force of old and was pulled up three out after getting tired, raising the prospect of possible retirement. “He just didn’t have the gears,” said Williamson. “The old Master Oats would have annihilated them in the mud.” What turned out to be the final outing of his career came in a third attempt to land the Grand National at Aintree. He proved himself much better than his comeback suggested when finishing a valiant fifth under a huge weight behind Lord Gyllene, losing out on a place close home after weakening on the run-in. “Only sheer courage got him home,” Williamson said afterwards. “He was knackered but it was almost as good as winning.” 

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