Picture: Pocket Power and Mike Bass (Bass Racing)

Mike Bass was given a tremendous reception when he was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Racing Association’s Cape Racing and Breeding Awards dinner at the Lanzerac Hotel in Stellenbosch on Monday evening.

It was at this function 12 months ago that the now-legendary trainer felt the beginnings of the freak illness that nearly cost him his life and led to the loss of part of his right leg as well as bringing forward his retirement.

His Marinaresco, winner of the Champions Cup and second in the Durban July, took the three-year-old colt award (despite being a gelding!) and his Cape Fillies Guineas winner Silver Mountain dead-heated with Bela-Bela for the fillies equivalent while stable jockey Grant van Niekerk was presented with the jockey of the year award.

John Slade, for many years manager of Maine Chance Farms and now breeding on his own account in the Karoo, was given the Special Service Industry award while the Mauritzfontein-bred Smart Call was named Horse of the Year.

Greg Cheyne (Liesl King)

Meanwhile, Greg Cheyne returns to action at Kenilworth on Saturday more than seven months after crushing his right foot in a freak pens accident.

Cheyne, 40, suffered seven fractures and two dislocations when his foot was mangled between the horse and the metalwork riding two-year-old Mount Keith at Kenilworth on December 27. He had four plates and a pin inserted in a lengthy operation at the Kingsbury Hospital 12 days later. He wore a surgical boot for three months.

He said yesterday: “I have been back riding work nearly five weeks and I am feeling ready to return to the racecourse.”

Cheyne also intends to ride at Fairview next week – he has a long and rewarding association with  Alan Greeff – and on Saturday he has rides in eight of the nine races.

Michael Clower