Australian Gelding Master Montaro Aiming to Remain Unbeaten in Hong Kong
There have been plenty of impressive thoroughbreds who have been widely tipped for success over the last few years – however, the emergence of talented galloper Master Montaro has understandably got racing fans talking. The three-year-old by Toronado remains unbeaten on Australian soil but he has since been moved to Hong Kong to continue his promising career under the watchful eye of David Hayes. The Australian Hall of Fame trainer plans to finish his career at Sha Tin racetrack and he will surely get the best out of this rising star.
Although this prodigious talent will be much-missed by racing fans in Victoria, his progress can still be followed from afar. The vast majority of online sportsbooks in Australia and New Zealand regularly offer odds on racedays at both Sha Tin and Happy Valley, and players who are signing up for an account can potentially use one of the many welcome bonuses to wager on Master Montaro throughout his time in the New Territories. Deposit bonuses are incredibly handy to help horse racing bettors familiarise themselves with a brand new site, and many online casinos also now offer incentives such as Free Spins for New Zealand players and 100% match bonuses. These are ideal for players who enjoy sampling online slot games using house money.
Master Montaro has been reportedly acclimatising well to his new surroundings and looked impressive during a competitive barrier trial at the end of November. He was pushed out to cross the line in second by jockey Zac Purton and fans are waiting patiently for him to make his highly-anticipated track debut later this summer.
Unbeaten so far, the three-year-old first caught the eye at Pakenham for trainer Richard Laming. Having commanded a fee of $300,000 at the 2018 NZB Ready to Run Sale of 2YOs, before changing hands for $1.5million, plenty was expected of this half-brother to Madoc, and he has certainly lived up to that early potential.
His debut victory was swiftly followed by an all-conquering display over 1140m at Geelong in mid-May. It was a race in which he comfortably accounted for several older and far more experienced rivals. With jockey Michael Walker labelling the powerful three-year-old as “one of the best horses I’ve ever ridden”, there is plenty of hype surrounding this unbeaten gelding, and connections are feeling confident that he will prove equally adept in his new surroundings. Although he is likely to encounter tougher opposition in Hong Kong, his development and progress will surely continue, and he is expected to be suitably well-backed in the pre-race market ahead of his Sha Tin debut.
The potential miler will be joined at Sha Tin by another burgeoning talent, with VRC Derby runner-up Hit the Shot having also been sold to Hong Kong. The deal, which is believed to be worth a seven-figure sum, will see the talented three-year-old join trainer John Size this summer.
With Master Montaro having generated plenty of excitement during his short career so far, racing fans are also looking forward to charting the progress of the three-year old’s full brother, Wise Counsel, who is currently being trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
His blistering performance at Geelong suggests that there is still plenty more to come, and although he is likely to face much stiffer competition in Hong Kong, there is every chance that Master Montaro can preserve his unbeaten run and become a regular in the winner’s enclosure at Sha Tin racecourse.