Bass’ is known for his ability to bring continual improvement out of his horses, but his Paddock Stakes record proves that he can bring the best out of young horses too if they are ready as three of his Paddock Stakes victories have been with three-year-olds.

He had previously won it with the three-year-old Perfect Order in 1992, the four-year-old Dollar Fortune in 1996 and the three-year-old Crimson Palace in 2002.

Saturday’s was a 57^th career Gr 1 victory for Bass and a first for Van Niekerk, although the latter did land himself a one week suspension for causing interference at about the 1100m mark.

The Paddock Stakes is regarded as one of the most sort after races to win in South Africa as it adds tremendous broodmare value, so owner Gaynor Rupert of Drakenstein Stud was understandably thrilled with Inara’s win as well as with Jet Belle’s third place finish.

Inara went off at very generous odds of 20/1, considering she had finished only 2,5 lengths behind the mighty Majmu in the Gr 1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas and was always going to relish the extra 200m.

It looked at one stage as if she might be unlucky, as she was squeezed out a bit when the field moved towards the outside rail, but Van Niekerk’s split second decision to switch inward and go all out for a gap way inside of where he was proved to be a winning move.

Bass said Inara would now likely go for the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m on J&B Met day, where she is drawn very well in three, as opposed to her wide on Saturday.

Bass will have a strong hand in that race as he has also entered two other classy Trippi fillies, Hammie’s Hooker and Lanner Falcon, as well as the Western Winter filly Supreme Sunset.

Hammie’s Hooker started as the 5/1 joint second favourite in the Paddock Stakes on Saturday but faded out to finish a 5,95 length ninth. Bass said that she had to do too much down the back straight to gain the handy position she turned for home in, and it would have been asking for “the impossible” for her to have still gone on and won. She has come out of the race fine and is on track for the Majorca, which will also be a more suitable trip for her and where she has drawn well in eight out of the 22 entries.

Lanner Falcon, who looks to be a sprint-miler, is entered in Saturday’s Gr 2 weight for age Sceptre Stakes which has attracted a strong field, albeit of only seven runners.

Supreme Sunset beat the like of Athina and Majmu in Johannesburg when winning the Gr 3 Jo’burg Spring Fillies and Mares Challenge over 1450m, although it has to be said that Majmu was unlucky in that race.

However, she proved her class last time out over 1400m at Kenlworth when finishing just a length behind red Flame and beating Arcetri Pink, although she did receive weight from both of them. She is drawn eleven in the Majorca.

The yard’s Jet Master gelding Helderberg Blue was a touch disappointing on Saturday when finishing fourth in the Gr 2 Peninsula Handicap over 1800m after being heavily backed, but Bass and Van Niekerk felt that he could have finished second had the pacemaker not fallen away leaving him at the front at the 500m mark. He is still on track for the J&B Met and Bass feels that he has more to come.

Bass’s other victory on Saturday was courtesy of yet another progeny of Trippi, the three-year-old gelding Equity Kicker, who won a competitive Pinnacle Stakes event over 1200m. He beating his luckless stablemate Castlethorpe, from whom he recieved 7,5kg, by 0,2 lengths.

Equity Kicker will run next in the R1 million Cape Thoroughbred Sales Stakes over 1200m on January 24. All three of this horse’s wins have been over 1000m, but Bass said that he had proven better with hold up tactics and his narrow loss over 1200m happened before those tactics had been employed.

Meanwhile, Bass said that Castlethorpe’s part-owner Robert Bloomberg was considering supplementing this tough Australian-bred seven-year-old gelding for the Gr 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championships over 1000m, also on January 24. He would do so in the hopes that there would be a strong headwind on the day, as there was on Saturday, as this horse is better suited to further.

Bass’s Jet Master gelding Mountain Master ran a cracker in the Gr 3 London News Stakes over 1800m at Turffontein on Saturday, when coming from last to finish a 2,75 length fourth to the Sansui Summer Cup runner up Killua Castle, despite only receiving 1,5kg. However, he said this horse would now come home to Cape Town as he is entered in the Gr 2 J&B Jet Stayers over 2800m on J&B Met day