Hail the Master

Photo: Caught in the Act Photography CQ

By Glenn Davis

If it wasn’t for Master Jamie, Rockhampton trainer Graeme Green would be a grey nomad travelling around the country.

Green, 67, considered retiring from the training caper several years ago and bought a caravan in the hope of fulfilling his dream to travel.

However, evergreen Master Jamie put those plans on the backburner with Green selling his caravan during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The passion to travel, however, still burns bright for Green as the popular trainer now has a brand new caravan sitting in his front yard waiting for the inevitable day it can be permanently used.

But that doesn’t appear to be any time soon as Master Jamie has reinvented himself, spoiling Green’s grey nomad wishes.

“I sold the first caravan during Covid as it was just sitting in the front yard not being used as we weren’t allowed to travel,” Green said.

“I’ve since bought another one and my wife, Julie, and I plan to do some travelling to Northern NSW for a few weeks now the carnival in North Queensland is finished.”

After initially being regarded as purely a 1200m sprinter in his early racing days, Master Jamie has proven himself over 1600m and Green is confident 2000m is within his range.

Green contemplated starting Master Jamie in last month’s Townsville Cup over 2000m but baulked and decided to chase a second win in the Cleveland Bay Handicap on the same day.

“I definitely think he’ll get 2000m,” Green said.

“They all said he wouldn’t run 1600m and he has proven them wrong.

“I hadn’t trained him for his last campaign to run 2000m so we decided to go for the Cleveland Bay again.

“Maybe he’ll go for the Townsville Cup next year.”

Seven-year-old Master Jamie has tackled the previous two Cleveland Bay Handicaps, which is regarded as the Stradbroke of the north.

He produced a dominant performance to claim the famous North Queensland feature in 2021 but could manage only eighth in last year’s race, which was won by the Lindsay Gough-trained Wren’s Day.

Luck never went Master Jamie’s way this year when he finished well back after suffering bad interference at the 1100m.

“He got decked and nearly fell, which put him out of the race this year,” Green said.

Master Jamie was ridden in all his Cleveland Bay attempts by Brisbane jockey Les Tilley, who has partnered him 29 times throughout his career for 11 wins, including famous back-to-back wins in the Rockhampton Cups in 2021 and 2022.

Master Jamie rolled off the Magic Millions production line in 2018 when Green outlayed a paltry $10,000 for him.

Fast forward and Master Jamie is close to cracking the $1 million barrier with earnings of $945,525 with 18 wins and 20 placings from 55 starts.

Master Jamie’s prize money haul could possibly be far greater but for a bout of Ross River fever which ruled him out of the $300,000 QTIS Jewel at the Gold Coast in 2020.

The setback came at a time when Master Jamie was at the peak of his three-year-old career after four straight wins in Brisbane and Rockhampton.

Green takes pride in choosing Master Jamie at the Magic Millions sales and has been a regular visitor since to the Gold Coast sales in January and March.

“He’s by Poet’s Voice and I liked the breed at the time,” Green said.

“I had a good look at all the yearlings and took a fancy to him straight away.

“I thought he was the best colt at the sales that year.”

Poet’s Voice, a European stallion, didn’t produce much on the racetrack in Australia before his untimely death while being shuttled back to England. 

Green knew he had something special in his stable from the first day he galloped Master Jamie.

“The first time I galloped him he held his own against an open company horse,” Green said.

“He was very big and a gross two-year-old and I knew straight away he was something special.

“He’s the best horse I’ve had by far”.

Master Jamie won his first start by nearly seven lengths at Rockhampton in 2018 earning him a trip to Brisbane where he finished third in two-year-old grade at Doomben.

He was spelled over the summer that year before winning five straight in his next campaign while still a two-year-old in central and north Queensland.

At the start of his three-year-old year, Master Jamie won five of his first seven starts in Rockhampton and Brisbane before finishing fifth in the Listed Weetwood Handicap at Toowoomba in 2020.

At his first attempt over 1400m Master Jamie claimed the $250,000 The Gateway at Eagle Farm in December 2020, earning him an automatic start in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap the following year.

However, Master Jamie ran last in the Stradbroke after suffering bad interference at the start.

He returned home after the Stradbroke to prepare for the Northern Queensland Winter Carnival finishing fifth in the Tattersall’s Sprint and second in the Newmarket Handicap at Rockhampton in 2021 before his famous Cleveland Bay victory in Townsville.

Master Jamie suffered from carrying massive weights last season with one of his best performances when successful with a massive 65.5kg at Rockhampton in June last year.

After being carefully placed under his huge weights, Green gave him his first start over 1600m in last year’s Rockhampton Cup when he led all the way to down the Lindsay Hatch-trained Sayl.

It was the greatest moment in Green’s career to win a hometown feature.

“Winning a feature race in your hometown is something every trainer strives for and dreams about,” Green said.

“It may not be a Group race but to see the entire crowd in the grandstand cheering for your horse is an incredible feeling and makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.”

Master Jamie returned for this year’s Queensland winter carnival in Brisbane placing twice in the Gold Jewel and Listed Tails Stakes, both at Doomben, but dodged another crack at the Stradbroke.

“We decided not to have a go at the Stradbroke this year and wanted to concentrate on our winter carnival up here,” Green said.

Green set Master Jamie on a path to defend his Rockhampton Cup crown after the gelding finished fifth in the Listed Spear Chief at Eagle Farm in June.

In his first run back on home soil, Master Jamie carried a whopping 67.5kg when he valiantly tried to lead all the way in the Tattersall’s Gold Cup, finishing second to the Toby and Trent Edmonds-trained Indian Dreamer.

He dropped 8kg for his attempt at successive Rockhampton Cups and was never in doubt, leading all-the-way for a commanding victory.

Green is still bitten by the travelling bug and hopes to retire one day, but that may be some time off if Master Jamie continues to fire when he returns from a well-deserved spell.