Bass holds strong hand

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Brendan Pather

The Gr 2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m at Saturday’s Champions Season opening meeting could virtually be called the ‘Mike Bass Stakes’ as he has five runners in the twelve horse field. Bass looks to hold the trump card in an earlier event, the Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas, with the dual Gr 1-winning Trippi filly Inara.

The masterful Cape trainer’s assistant trainer Robert Fayd’Herbe has relocated from Johannesburg to Summerveld for the Champions Season and said that the Drill Hall would be used as a preparation event for all of Helderberg Blue, Ashton Park, Night Trip, Ze Kaiser and Mountain Master.

Inara (Liesl King)

However, he was more bullish about the chances of Inara. He said she had been “doing alright” and “would be quite fit, although she might just need it a little”. The yard gave her “a bit of a holiday” after she had won both the Gr 1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes over 1800m and the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m in January. Fayd’Herbe admitted that she was not easy to judge because “she shows nothing at home.”

Inara and fellow Vodacom Durban July entry Helderberg Blue, who ran an excellent second in the J&B Met, were certainly looking pictures of health at Summerveld on Tuesday morning. The temperamental Helderberg Blue has a new friend, the recently retired Epic Tale, who accompanies him wherever he goes to the extent that he walks alongside him when ringing in the mornings. The nervous Jet Master gelding won his maiden over 1400m, but Fayd’Herbe confirmed that the Drill Hall trip is a little bit on the sharp side for him these days.

Ashton Park has won six times over 1400m and looked a bit of an unlucky loser over this distance in his penultimate start in the Gr 2 Hawaii Stakes when charging home to lose by just 0,75 lengths after taking too long to find a clear run. He is a bit of a headstrong sort and pulling for his head early cost him in his next run in the Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes. He is now back to his favourite trip, but a big downside is that he is drawn eleven which will be a particular disadvantage for one who either needs cover from off the pace or needs to be in front.

Fayd’Herbe regards Night Trip as at his best from 1400-1600m. The yard have often lamented how good he would be if he reproduced his homework. His last win was in the Listed Darley Arabian over 1600m on the Greyville Polytrack, so he does enjoy tight tracks and from draw two he has a chance of earning if putting his best foot forward.

Mountain Master is the third of the Bass July entries and has won over course and distance before, but that was off a merit rating of 77 in a handicap and in this class he would be much better suited to 1800m and upward.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Liesl King

Alexis impresses at home

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Nikita

The KRA Fillies Guineas contestant Alexis put in a superb bit of work on the Summerveld beach sand yesterday morning and will give high flying Cape trainer Brett Crawford an outstanding chance of landing this race for the second year in succession.

However, Mike de Kock’s Summerveld assistant trainer Nathan Kotzen was also very happy with the well-being of one of Alexis’s chief rivals on Saturday, One Fine Day.

Yesterday, Alexis cruised at a comfortable gait alongside the speedy Cuvee Brut , who appeared to have her work cut out to keep up, and Crawford’s assistant trainer Barry Donnelly was thrilled by the workout. Cuvee Brut won her last start in a MR 78 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m by an impressive three lengths, which puts Alexis’s class into perspective. Alexis has plenty of speed but Donnelly pointed out that on pedigree she should get Saturday’s 1600m trip. Indeed, she has a blistering turn of foot and has invariably finished strongly over shorter. In her last start over 1400m at Greyville in a small but classy field of six, she came from last and after being switched inward she had to then be switched outward again for a clear run and was doing excellent late work. She finished just 1,75 and one length respectively behind One Fine Day and Silver Class and will face both of them on 2kgs better terms in the KRA Fillies Guineas at Greyville on Saturday. It has to be said that One Fine Day quickened effortlessly and won with a bit in hand, although she was probably more forward than Alexis as it was her third run after a rest compared to the latter’s comeback run. Donnelly confirmed yesterday that Alexis had needed the run and had “come on plenty” since then. Meanwhile, Kotzen said about One Fine Day, “She is doing very well and seems to be flying. If we have her the same as she was for that last race I will be happy.”

Delmar Sherrel is now the sole owner of Alexis. Delmar is the mother of former Springbok flyhalf Lance Sherrel and also has a share in the Crawford-trained stalwart Captain America, who was an easy winner of last month’s WFA Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein.

– By David Thiselton

It’s time for Champions Season

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Nikita

With six graded and listed races on the card, the nail-biting battle to the line between favourite Moofeed and the lesser-fancied Gulf Storm set the ball rolling on a high note in the Listed In Full Flight Handicap over 1 100m where the Sail From Seattle gelding Gulf Storm prevailed by a narrow margin.

Jockey Corne Orffer showed he was more than capable of mixing it with the top riders in the country when he got the better of Anthony Delpech in the final strides to give trainer Brett Crawford his first local feature winner of the season.

Two very exciting juveniles gave notice of much better things to come in the two Grade 3 races for two-year-olds, the Strelitzia Stakes and the Godolphin Barb Stakes, and both are likely to be short-priced for their big Grade 1 races at Scottsville next month. Both were ridden by Anton Marcus.

Trained by Glen Kotzen, the Visionaire filly Royal Pleasure retained her unbeaten record with a fluid win in the Strelitzia and Seventh Plain, a colt by Seventh Rock from the Dennis Drier stable, put his hand up as a potential winner of the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Medallion on May 23. A performance of note in this race was that of the Argonaut colt Beat The Retreat from the Alistair Gordon stable that came on strongly in the closing stages of the 1 100m event and could be dangerous over the 1 200m of the big race next month.

In the Grade 3 Poinsettia Stakes over 1 200m, the Kotzen-trained Jet Belle showed her class when she won comfortably from the Justin Snaith stable inmate Varikate. Having her first race since January, the Jet Master mare shifted about a little in the closing stages but Greg Cheyne steadied her and she won comfortably.

The Listed Scarlet Lady saw Anton Marcus back in the winner’s enclosure with the Charles Laird-trained Captain Al filly Captain’s Daughter. Marcus had raced her up handy as San Trip set the gallop and moved her to the outside for her run as Euphoria tackled San Trip and looked a potential winner. However, Marcus was at his best and drove Captain’s Daughter up the outside rail to win by a length.

Trainer Dean Kannemeyer can hardly put a foot wrong since bringing his team to Durban and his four-year-old Kahal gelding Solar Star put up a gutsy and impressive performance to beat the opposition under a good ride from Stuart Randolph to close off the meeting in The Sledgehammer over 1 750m.

Inara tops KRA Fillies Guineas entries

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Brendan Pather

NO HORSE A/S WGT M/R TRAINER

3 INARA (3F) 60.0 110 Mike Bass

11 SAME JURISDICTION (3F) 60.0 108 Duncan Howells

16 RICH GIRL (AUS) (3F) 60.0 104 Charles Laird

9 TROPHY WIFE (3F) 60.0 103 Sean Tarry

17 ATAAB (AUS) (3F) 60.0 101 Mike de Kock

10 ONE FINE DAY (3F) 60.0 100 Mike de Kock

12 SENSIBLE LOVER (AU (3F) 60.0 99 Weiho Marwing

18 ROSIER (3F) 60.0 98 Glen Kotzen

7 ALEXIS (3F) 60.0 97 Brett Crawford

19 ALICE SPRINGS (AUS (3F) 60.0 95 Mike de Kock

5 REAL PRINCESS (3F) 60.0 94 Dean Kannemeyer

20 BICHETTE (3F) 60.0 92 Sean Tarry

2 SILVER CLASS (3F) 60.0 92 Johan Janse van Vuuren

22 ZANTE (3F) 60.0 92 Neil Bruss

4 CUVEE BRUT (3F) 60.0 90 Brett Crawford

8 SEVENTH HEART (3F) 60.0 88 Sean Tarry

6 FIRE DANCING (3F) 60.0 85 Corne Spies

14 JO MALONE (3F) 60.0 84 Corne Spies

13 CATHY SPECIFIC (3F) 60.0 82 Glen Kotzen

15 SUPREME DYNASTY (3F) 60.0 82 Dennis Drier

1 JUST LUCKY (3F) 60.0 80 Duncan Howells

21 ONE WAY TICKET (3F) 60.0 78 Glen Kotzen

(22)

Please Note:

Declarations closes @ 11:00 on Tuesday, 28 April 2015

All about the race

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Nikita

DATE: Saturday, 2 May 2015

AGE/ CONDITION: 3 Year Old Fillies at Level Weights

ENTRIES: 11:00am Friday, 17 April 2015 – Fee: R 684

SUPP ENTRIES: 11:00am Friday, 24 April 2015 – Fee R 2736

WEIGHTS: Friday, 17 April 2015

Weight to be carried: 60kg

Northern Hemisphere allowance applies

DECLARATIONS: 11:00am Tuesday, 28 April 2015 – Fee R 2736

2014 KRA Fillies Guineas

Horse: MAYBE YES

Jockey: Glen Hatt

Trainer: Brett Crawford

Owners: Messrs G M Grant, C S Haynes, Mr & Mrs F Ladeira & Miss J B Slack

Breeder: Wilgerbosdrift

ABOUT: THE KRA (Korea Racing Authority) FILLIES GUINEAS

First run in 1971 as the South African Fillies Guineas, this great race is famous for the emergence as a star in the making of the sensational Zimbabwean-bred filly Ipi Tombe, a filly that went on to win the Woolavington 2000 nd the Vodacom Durban July before becoming an international star with magnificent wins in the Dubai Racing Carnival and at the Dubai World Cup.

ROLL OF HONOUR:

2014

It was the Snaith-trained Jet Master filly In The Fast Lane that was favourite to win but she and the other 10 fillies had no answer to the powerful finish delivered by the Tiger Ridge filly Maybe Yes from the Crawford yard. The filly gave a scintillating performance to win by nearly two lengths in a time of 95.96 sec.

The Trippi filly from the Geoff Woodruff stable, Not Sulking, ran another genuine race to take second place with In The Fast Lane coming through for third place ahead of Lanner Falcon.

Both jockey Glen Hatt and trained Crawford said it was a good performance from the filly bearing in mind that her preparation had not gone as planned with her having to be withdrawn from her scheduled prep run.

2013

Mike de Kock had pulled off the surprise win in the KRA Guineas with Vercingetorix and completed the Guineas double when his filly Festival Of Fire burnt up the track to win comfortably from Jet Aglow, Jet Supreme and King’s Temptress. The filly had settled in the pack in the early stages but cruised clear in the straight to win by 2.5 lengths.

2012

Having been beaten into second place with Berry Blaze in the previous year, the powerful Mike de Kock stable came to the fore when the Australian-bred Amanee carried the colours of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa al Maktoum to victory from Reason To Believe and Felix The Cat. Amanee had won the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes as a juvenile and her brilliant win in this 1 600m event proved she was a filly of considerable class.

2011

Some very smart fillies went to post for the race but there was no stopping the Dennis Drier-trained Beach Beauty who won convincingly from Berry Blaze and Legal Account. Beach Beauty went on to win the Betting World 1900 and perform strongly in the country’s two top races, the Vodacom Durban July and J&B Met.

Returning to Durban she won the Drill Hall Stakes and ran second to the mighty Variety Club in the Gold Challenge at Clairwood. She then showed her class with another scintillating victory in the Garden Province Stakes on Vodacom Durban July day before making her way back to the Cape for the summer season. She opened her campaign winning a pinnacle stakes race over 1 400m and followed that up with a third place in the Green Point Stakes before thrashing her opposition in the Paddock Stakes for the second year running.