JET MASTER (SAF) 1994

JET MASTER (SAF) a bay colt of 1994 by RAKEEN (USA) out of JET LIGHTNING (SAF) by ROLLINS (USA).

The truly remarkable “short” story of one of South Africa’s greatest horseracing legends of all time began in Natal on the 13^th November 1994 when the Hugh Jonsson owned mare, JET LIGHTNING (SAF) 1987, by ROLLINS (USA) 1978 out JOLLY LAUGHTER (SAF) 1978 by JOLLY DRUMMER (SAF) 1963, foaled down with her third foal. The colt foal, by RAKEEN (USA) 1987, a son of the great NORTHERN DANCER (CAN) 1961, would become known as JET MASTER.

Placed on the 1995 Natal Mare & Weanling Sale, JET MASTER caught the eye of Mrs. Patricia Devine in a big way. Instantly besotted with the colt, Mrs. Devine managed to persuade her less enthusiastic husband Henry to not only buy the colt, but go beyond his preconceived bidding limit in doing so, when the gavel eventually came down at R15000.

Enter Terrance and Tony Millard, who like Mrs. Devine, saw something most attractive and appealing in the now 2yo colt when they first set eyes on him. This resulted in the colt going into training with them in the ownership of Mrs. P.J. & Mr. H.C Devine.

To say that the rest is history would be all too easy. Although JET MASTER was an exceptional racehorse, winning 17 races and placing 5 times from his 25 starts (7 of his wins at Group 1 level), he had his problems in training. Breathing issues resulted in surgery and he was most at ease and relaxed living with his companion, a sheep.

HORSE OF THE YEAR in South Africa on two occasions, JET MASTER’s feature successes were as follows:

1997 1st Cape Argus Guineas (Grade 1) (1600m).
1998 1st A Division Handicap (1400m), (Listed).
1998 1st Queen’s Plate (1600m), Grade 1.
1998 1st Keith Hepburn Champion Stakes (1400m), Grade 2.
1998 1st Golden Spur (Gilbeys) (1200m), Grade 1.
1998 1st Nissan Challenge (1600m), Grade 1.
1999 1st Kwazulu-Natal Breeders’ Championship (Listed) (1600m).
1999 1st Queen’s Plate (1600m), Grade 1.
1999 1st Cape Flying Championship (WFA) (1000m), Grade 1.
1999 1st Hawaii Stakes (1400m), Grade 2.
1999 1st Golden Spur (Gilbeys) (1200m), Grade 1.
1999 1st Mercury Sprint (1200m), Grade 1.
1997 2nd Administrator’s Classic (1800m), Grade 1.
1999 2nd Germiston November Handicap (1600m), Grade 1.
1999 2nd Gold Challenge (1600m), Grade 1.
1997 3rd The Dingaans (1600m), Grade 2.

Retired to stud in 2001, he had his first crop of foals on the ground in 2002. Success as a stallion was instant, with 4 Grade 1 winners emerging from his first crop. At stud for 10 seasons (2002 – 2011), JET MASTER was the CHAMPION SIRE OF SOUTH AFRICA for 7 of those 10 seasons. He was also the Champion Two Year Old Sire multiple times. His daughters have proved to be extremely successful broodmares. HALFWAY TO HEAVEN (SAF) 2007, a recent BROODMARE OF THE YEAR, is the dam of the three Grade 1 winners, RAINBOW BRIDGE, GOLDEN DUCAT and HAWWAAM (recently retired to stud at Wilgerbosdrift Stud). JET MASTER was the sire of 73 Stakes Winners while at stud, 22 of them at Grade 1 level.

A few of his principal winners were as follows:

(COLTS)

FLOATYOURBOAT 5 wins, including the 2005 Cape Derby (Grade1).
POCKET POWER 20 wins, including 2005 1st Winter Guineas (Grade 3) (1600m), 2005 1st Winter Classic (Grade 3) (1800m), 2005 1st Winter Derby (Grade 3) (2400m), G3, 2006 1st L’ormarins Queen’s Plate (WFA) (Grade 1) (1600m), 2006 1st J&B Metropolitan (2000m), Grade 1, 2007 1st Green Point Stakes (WFA) (Grade 2) (1600m), 2007 1st L’ormarins Queen’s Plate (WFA) (Grade 1) (1600m), 2007 1st J&B Metropolitan (2000m), Grade 1, 2007 1st Vodacom Durban July (2200m), Grade 1, 2008 1st Ocean Basket Green Point Stakes (WFA) (Grade2) (1600m), 2008 1st L’ormarins Queen’s Plate (WFA) (Grade 1) (1600m), 2008 1st J&B Metropolitan (2000m), Grade 1, 2008 1st Gold Challenge (Grade 1) (1600m), 2009 1st L’ormarins Queen’s Plate (WFA) (Grade 1) (1600m), 2010 1st Ocean Basket Green Point Stakes (WFA) (Grade 2) (1600m).
MASTER OF MY FATE 6 wins & 1 place (from only 8 starts), 2013 1st Premier Trophy (Grade 2) (1800m), 2013 1st Peninsula Handicap (Grade 2) (1800m).
MYTHICAL FLIGHT 8 wins, including 2006 1st Cape Flying Championship (WFA) (Grade 1) (1000m), 2006 1st Computaform Sprint (Grade 1) (1000m).
JJ THE JET PLANE 3 wins in Dubai, 1 win in England, 1 win in Hong Kong and 9 wins in South Africa, including 2007 1st Computaform Sprint (Grade 1) (1000m), 2007 1st Golden Horse Casino Sprint (Grade 1) (1200m), 2007 1st Mercury Sprint (Grade 1) (1200m), 2009 1st Golden Horse Casino Sprint (Grade 1) (1200m), 2009 1st The Mercury Sprint (Grade 1) (1200m), 2010 1st Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), Grade 1.
MASTER PLAN 6 wins, 2011 1st Champions Cup (Grade 1) (1800m).
POMODORO 8 wins, 2011 1st S.A Derby (2450m), Grade 1, 2011 1st Vodacom Durban July (Grade 1) (2200m).
YORKER 6 wins, 2013 1st Sansui Summer Cup (Grade 1) (2000m), 2013 1st Horse Chestnut Stakes (Grade 1) (1600m), 2013 1st Champions Challenge (Grade 1) (2000m).
MASTER SABINA 9 wins, 2015 1st Sansui Summer Cup (Grade 1) (2000m), 2016 1st Sansui Summer Cup (Grade 1) (2000m).

(FILLIES)

SOFT LANDING 5 wins, 2005 1st Garden Province Stakes (Grade 1) (1600m).
STRATOS 7 wins, 2007 1st EMPRESS CLUB STAKES (Grade 1) (1600m).
RIVER JETEZ 11 wins (+1 in Dubai), 2009 1st J&B Metropolitan (2000m), Grade 1.
LOVE IS IN THE AIR 8 wins, 2009 1st Klawervlei Majorca Stakes (WFA) (Grade 1) (1600m).
ALL AFIRE 3 wins, 2008 1st Golden Slipper (Grade 1) (1400m).
EBONY FLYER 8 wins, 2010 1st Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas (Grade 1) (1600m), 2011 1st Klawervlei Majorca Stakes (WFA) (Grade 1) (1600m).
THUNDER DANCE 6 wins, 2011 1st TBA Paddock Stakes (WFA) (Grade 1) (1800m), 2012 1st Laurie Jaffee Empress Club Stakes (Grade 1) (1600m).
VIVA MARIA 5 wins, 2011 1st Woolavington 2000 (Grade 1) (2000m).
FLY BY NIGHT 6 wins, 2013 1st The Mercury Sprint (Grade 1) (1200m).

JET MASTER’s pedigree is a most interestingly mixed and fascinating one that many purists would never have dreamed could have been as great as it has turned out to be. He is to date the most successful South African bred stallion to have ever stood in this country. He is on record as having 10 of his sons stand at stud here, of which POMODORO (standing at KLAWERVLEI STUD) and MASTER OF MY FATE (standing at VARSFONTEIN STUD) have already produced Grade 1 winners. As already mentioned, JET MASTER is the broodmare sire of the exciting stallion prospect, HAWWAAM, who is standing his first season at stud this year (2022) at WILGERBOSDRIFT STUD.

JET MASTER sadly died from complications associated with the West Nile Virus that he contracted just before the start of the 2012 breeding season.

A LEGENDARY stallion indeed!