Brad Stewart's perfect Masterplan for rare trifecta

By Jordan Gerrans

To breed, train and ride a horse to victory – it is a rare trifecta in thoroughbred racing.

Queensland hoop Brad Stewart added that achievement to his resume on Saturday at Burrandowan Picnic Race Club as Masterplan was a dominant winner of the Final of the annual Burnett To The Beach series.

The three-year-old gelding had qualified for the $20,000 decider by finishing fourth in the Nanango heat in late March.

To be eligible to compete in the Final, horses must have competed in a minimum of one heat.

Stewart’s Masterplan was much too strong in the Benchmark 60 Handicap over 1175 metres, scoring by more than two lengths while carrying 63.5kg.

The Group level-winning hoop is on the comeback trail following a serious pelvis injury that required multiple surgeries.

The victory as a jockey on Saturday was Stewart’s first since June of 2022, with it coming at his third ride back from the injury setbacks.

In the time between riding winners, Stewart prepared four winners in his capacity as a trainer under his dual-licence. 

The Burnett To The Beach series is a popular one that moves across the Sunshine State, hosting heats at Gympie, Esk, Monto, Nanango, Wondai and Bundaberg before the big Final at Burrandowan.

Stewart’s fiancé Johanna McGrath had predominately done the riding of the gelding before the returning hoop took over the reins in his last three starts.

“He is no world-beater but he was well placed in that race, although he had a big weight,” Stewart said of the galloper he bred.

“I saw the race was on there and he had a few starts at non-TAB level so he was qualified to run in it, so that’s the way he went.

“He had shown in the past he could carry the weight; he had won in the past carrying 63kg with my partner Jo riding. I didn’t have any problems with the weight.”

Masterplan is a son of mare Western Desert and Sidestep and is owned by Stewart's mother Pauline. 

Western Desert was prepared by Stewart's father Neville. 

Neville also previously trained Masterplan before Brad took over the duties in late 2023.

As Brad has been on the comeback trail from injury, he had not ridden the galloper in a race until late April. 

He rode the gelding in his first public appearance in a trial at Deagon in early September of 2022.

It was Brad’s third ride in a race aboard Masterplan on Saturday since his lengthy injury lay off and it was the first time they had combined to score.

“I was not sure at one point I would be backing riding so it is nice to breed, train and ride him,” he said.

“You cannot do much more than that, really.”

The 45-year-old Stewart only took out a dual-licence to train and ride when he was not sure if his injury was going to allow him to ride again.

With just the one galloper in work, he does not anticipate getting more horses for his stable as he ramps up his return to riding.

He says his physical condition and weight are always on the improve and following doctors’ advice, Stewart is hopeful he can get back to near his best in the saddle in the near future.

“I hope to be around the 60kg mark at the end of the month,” he said.

“As you get older it is harder to get the weight down but we are going ok at the moment.

“I am trying to take my riding more seriously now and I won't be getting any more horses to train.

“I am more focused on the riding now that it is more on the horizon.”

The stable also have a young filly they have bred from Western Desert.