Country Stampede jigsaw takes shape

By Glenn Davis

More pieces of the Country Stampede puzzle were filled in following qualifying wins from Rockhampton sprinter Grand De Lago at Moranbah and Masterplan at Dalby on Saturday.

The Darryl Johnston-trained Grand De Lago secured his spot in the Country Stampede Final at Doomben later this month with a dominate win in the qualifier at Treasure Park in Moranbah.

Masterplan also booked his spot in the Final with a dominant win in the Dalby qualifier for Deagon trainer Brad Stewart.

The nine-year-old Grand De Lago again showed his liking for the sand track at Treasure Park storming home to down the Lachie Manzelmann-trained Chickerartie by almost a length.

Johnston has never had a runner in the Country Stampede Final and is looking forward to the challenge with his veteran sprinter who was ridden by apprentice McKenzie Apel.

Grand De Lago has proven to be a track specialist with three wins from four starts at Moranbah.

It was his fifth win for Johnston and his 13th overall in an 81-start career.

“It was a good win but he does like the sand and the track,” Johnston said.

“I thought he would be hard to beat as he normally gives weight away to the others but they had to give him weight for a change.

“Sometimes he can be slow out of the gates but McKenzie rode him well.”

Johnston is on the lookout for a female rider for Grand De Lago in the Country Stampede Final.

“For some reasons he goes better for the girls, so I’m looking to find a suitable female jockey for him in the Final,” Johnston said.

Johnston turned his hand to training following a horrific fall as a jockey which left him in a wheelchair in 2007.

Meanwhile, Justin Stanley rode Masterplan perfectly when the four-year-old defied his previous defeat when he beat one home in a Benchmark race over 1200 metres at Kilcoy last month.

The win was the seventh time Stewart had been in the winner’s stall since turning his hand to training just over 12 months ago.

The four-year-old Masterplan, owned by his Stewart’s mother Pauline, gave the former jockey his maiden win as a trainer at Stanthorpe in October last year.

Masterplan has been in the winner’s stall on five other occasions for Stewart at Kilcoy (twice), Warwick, Burrandowan and Esk.

Stewart rode more than 1,460 winners during his career as a jockey but is on the sidelines recovering from a serious pelvis injury which has required multiple surgeries.

The $105,000 Country Stampede Final will be run at Doomben on November 30 along with the $200,000 Country Cups Challenge Final.