He said, “Helderberg Blue and Paterfamilias are both very well and I’m happy with both. They look pretty well and are in good shape and I think they will both run their best races to date.

Paterfamilias (Liesl King)

“Helderberg was a bit too handy last time and went too hard and I hadn’t done enough between races with him so he could have done better. Paterfamilias has had a very strange prep as the Premier Trophy and the Queen’s Plate were the only races for him and as a result his form doesn’t look great.

“If I could rather have run him in a Pinnacle over 1400m he would have gone close and then if he had run in an easier 1800m next time with a better pace he would have done better. The Queen’s Plate was a slow run race and he was sitting at the back, I know Futura was too, but he couldn’t show much and he’s better than that. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he runs a place.”

Helderberg Blue and Paterfamilias, who are geldings by Jet Master and Trippi respectively, are drawn wide in 13 and 15 respectively with Grant van Niekerk and Corne Orffer up.

Bass said, “The draws are horrible but complaining doesn’t change it. When Martial Eagle and Hill Fifty Four won from those draws in the last two years the pace was slow and they pushed up into handy positions, but doing that would not suit either of our horses. I don’t know if I can hope for both, but I hope at least one of them gets nicely placed.”

Bass has a strong hand in the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m with four classy runners, Hammie’s Hooker, the Gr 1 Paddock Stakes winner Inara, Lanner Falcon and Supreme Sunset.

He said, “Hammie’s Hooker is doing well and ran a good second last year and I think she will run a similar race this year. To be frank I think it is a race in two between her and Cold As Ice. I have to ignore her last run (Paddock Stakes) as the rider rode a poorly judged race. She is doing pretty well and I hope she goes close. Inara will run very well, she was second in the Guineas and if she runs another big race she might well be good enough on the day. She is improving all the time and if the race pans out well, who knows.

“Lanner Falcon is doing very well indeed. She is pretty close most of the time running on from off the pace and has a very real place chance. Supreme Sunset beat both Athina and Arcetri Pink in the race in Johannesburg she won when Majmu was unlucky. The others are preferred but she won’t be far off them and if you don’t have a ticket you don’t have a chance.”

Bass has realistic hopes for his Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby runner, Seven Oceans. He said, “He is a nice staying type of a horse and I think he has as much chance as the rest except for the two hotpots, Act Of War and Ertijaal, although maybe the one hotpot as I didn’t think Ertijaal was all that impressive last time.”

Helderberg Blue (Liesl King)

Bass was bullish about the chances of his two runners in the Gr 2 J&B Urban Honey Stayers over 2800m, Mountain Master and Shingwedzi. He said, “I think they both have fair chances. Mountain Master will stay and might well be good enough. Shingwedzi has a shout at the weights.”

He is also confident of good runs from his pair Ernie and Waity Katie in the Listed Sun International Summer Juvenile Stakes over 1000m. He said, “I give both of them a chance of finishing in the first five. I’ve heard Buckinghampshire and Seventh Plain are unbeatable but I’ve heard that before and it’s always a hard race to assess.”

Bass gave Ze Kaiser a good chance in the tenth, a MR 96 Handicap over 1600m, and said, “Ze Kaiser ran a very good race last time. He needs to do a little bit more in this slightly stronger field, but he might well do it again as he has come right. He had foot issues and our farrier has got him back to his best.”

He also runs the talented Night Trip in that race and said, “He ran well last time but with that weight we can’t expect too much.” However, he has said in the past that he wished Night Trip would bring his work at home to the racecourse, so this horse can never be ignored.

Bass mentioned Sail For Gold and Counting Angels as two of his best runners on the day. The former runs in the ninth race, a MR 75 Handicap over 1600m, and he said, “Sail For Gold has an outstanding chance, although he is drawn wide.”

Counting Angels runs in the eleventh, a MR 90 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1800m. Bass said, “She didn’t have a race last time out because her stirrup iron broke and I’m expecting a big run from her.”

Piere Strydom, successful on the Brett Crawford-trained Angus 12 years ago, is confident that the extra 400m will bring out the best in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate runner-up.

He said: “The mile of the Queen’s Plate is not Louis’ game and we were hoping only that he would run into a place. A win obviously would have been a bonus but he ran on well.”

But seemingly not as well as many people thought – “I believe they were confused by the camera angle which suggested that we were coming back at Futura at the line. He came from last to run past us as if we were standing still. He then went away and we were never coming back at him.

“But the extra two furlongs of the Met will help us. I know it will help Futura as well but it will definitely help Louis The King.”

Robbie Fradd often rode the horse with exaggerated waiting tactics but these have not been adopted by Strydom who said: “I don’t know why Robbie rode him like that – obviously he had his reasons – but for me he is the type of horse who builds up, continues to build up and then gives a kick.”

Strydom also expects a good run from his mount’s two stable companions, saying: “I originally thought that the race was between my horse, Futura and Legislate but Tellina (13-1) has obviously come on. The Queen’s Plate was his first run after being gelded while Killua Castle (25-1) is also a runner.”

Red Flame  runs in the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes with S’Manga Khumalo up and this will be the first opportunity she has had to show how good she is over her probable optimum trip of 1600m as she was eliminated from last season’s Gr 2 KRA Guineas due to a not high enough merit rating.

Bruss said, “She had a good prep run and is really really well. She never runs a bad race, I think the 1800m (fifth in the Gr 3 Victress Stakes) was too far for her and the 2000m of the Woolavington certainly was. She is drawn widest of all so a lot will depend on the pace. If they go slow you can be trapped wide and then they sprint for home. But she will give of her best and will be doing her best work late so I think she will be there or thereabouts. I think she is in the race with some sort of chance.”

Aquila Jet, a promising three-year-old filly also by Jet Master, runs in the first leg of the Place Accumulator, a competitive MR 79 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1400m. Khumalo is also aboard her and they have to overcome draw eleven in a 15 horse field.

Bruss said, “I think she is badly handicapped for a one-time winner. I told the handicapper and he dropped her two points. The 1400m is her optimum trip and she is working well so with luck in running she has a chance.”

Last year the now five-year-old Ashaawes mare came into the race off a fourth in the Gr 3 Victress Stakes and a fifth in the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes, both over 1800m, and the yard have taken a completely different approach this year.

Marcus said, “I just thought that with her form having been so good over sprints in the winter I would put her in the 1000 and the two 1200s so that she would go into the Majorca good and fresh and stepping up in trip. She has had a good prep and her last two fourth places were good performances although with age she is probably finding 1200 a bit sharp now. We were hoping she would be going into Saturday’s race on the up and feeling good and happy and she is doing just that, she is extremely well, we have her at the best she can possibly be and we are confident she will run to the best of her ability. If Beach Beauty was in the field I think she would be very hard to beat and she only beat us by two lengths last year, so we are going to be competitive. Obviously Cold As Ice is up and coming and a potential superstar, but the distance will be a question mark.”

Priceless Jewel jumps from a very nice draw of five and Adam’s Uncle Anton Marcus rides, which is always a plus.

The yard have two other runners on the day, Crystal Cavern, who runs in the third race, a MR 79 fillies and mares handicap over 1400m, and Souk, who runs in the first, a MR 86 fillies and mares handicap over 1000m.

Marcus said, “Crystal Cavern is a very smart filly and showed her true ability in her last win (over course and distance), I was very impressed with that run. However, her wide draw is a concern, I think if she were better drawn she would be one of the fillies to beat. We are hoping she can get in without being used up too much and with luck she will run a decent race.”

“Souk is one of the better horses in the yard, but we gave her a break because of a virus that went through the yard, and this will be a prep run for the Prix du Cap. She is probably the class act in the field and going in fresh we would like to see her running on strongly and going into the Prix du Cap well.”