Mike Bass’ Summerveld assistant trainer Robert Fayd’Herbe said it would be the “highlight” of his training career if he could win a race for the “”Old Man” in the eLan Gold Cup meeting on Sunday and he has a number of good chances of doing so.

The meeting will officially be the last of Bass’ glittering career and it would be particularly fitting if the yard could land the race named in the great trainer’s  honour, the Gr 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup, with the crack three-year-old Marinaresco.

Robert said, “Mr. Bass has been very good to me and to my family (Bernard Fayd’Herbe was stable jockey for many seasons).

He revealed the Summerveld grass on the bend had been opened yesterday for his big race charges and said, “The grass was actually fantastic and the horses (Marinaresco, Helderberg Blue and Nightingale) all worked very well.”

Marinaresco is odds-on favourite for the Champions Cup over 1800m, having put up an outstanding performance in the Vodacom Durban

July, in which he came from a mile back to finish a 0,25 length runner up. Fayd’Herbe said, “He came out of the July well, in fact I think he’s actually come on a bit. He’s looking well and his work has been good, he‘s enjoying life. He is also effective over a mile to 1800m and doesn’t take a lot of work.”

Marinaresco has another wide draw to overcome, thirteen this time, and stable jockey Grant van Niekerk remains aboard. Fayd’Herbe said Marinaresco did not have to be dropped out like he was in the July and hoped he would be closer in the running this time.

Fayd’Herbe was also bullish about the chances of Helderberg Blue in the Gr 2 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m.

The five-year-old gelding was a touch unlucky in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m at Greyville in his penultimate start when giving Balance Sheet 2,5kg and being beaten only 0,25 lengths. In his next start he did not quicken as well as the others when finishing a 1,85 length fourth in the Gr 3 Delta Air Lines 2200 on July day, so appears to be looking for further. Fayd’Herbe said, “He will stay all day.”

This horse was notoriously difficult in his younger days and invariably boiled over at the racecourse. However, Fayd’Herbe said, “He has quietened down a bit with age and with his pony leading him down is more settled. Grant (Van Niekerk) enjoys riding him now.” Helderberg Blue has a plum draw of four.

The yard also have a reserve runner in Three Balloons. Fayd’Herbe said, “He is a galloper and has been aimed at this race for the whole season. If he gets in he will be a big runner with that weight.”

Fayd’Herbe said Nightingale had been caught too far out of her ground in a slow run race in the Gr 3 Track And Ball Oaks over 2400m at Scottsville, where she started even money favourite. Before that she had put up two excellent efforts to finish a respective second and third to Bela-Bela in the Gr 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas and Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 respectively.

She drops back to the 2000m trip on Sunday in the Gr 2 Gold Bracelet, a weight for age event in which she is the joint second highest merit rated horse on 102, four points lower than Olma. She has a tough draw of eleven with Van Niekerk up. Fayd’Herbe said, “She is doing well, she hasn’t got the greatest of draws, but hopefully we can slot her in.”

Fayd’Herbe regards Ernie as the yard banker for the day, because in his opinion the others are in tougher races. The three-year-old gelding comes off a one length second in the tabGold Sprint over 1200m on the poly on July day and now jumps from pole position with Van Niekerk up in the Listed Umgeni Handicap over 1000m on the poly.

Fayd’Herbe said, “He’s fit and well and dropping down to 1000m from a good draw we are hoping for a big run.”

The six-year-old gelding Night Trip will bring down the curtain on Bass’s training career when attempting to win the Listed Darley Arabian over 1600m on the poly for the third year in succession. He is coming off an excellent second in the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint and has to carry 62kg from a tough draw of ten with Anton Marcus up.

Fayd’Herbe said, “He surprised us in the Mercury and has come well. He is a big strong fella so can carry the weight and hopefully will pull it off.”

David Thiselton

Five-times national champion trainer Geoff Woodruff deserves a change of luck at Greyville and has two good chances of landing the Gr 1 eLan Gold Cup on Sunday with Master Sabina and Arch Rival.

Master Sabina has been prepared out of Summerveld for the marathon 3200m event, while Arch Rival will have to travel down from Randjesfontein. Woodruff said Master Sabina had not missed any work despite the buckets of rain which had hit KZN.

Woodruff said he would not like to separate the pair, but if he had to he would swing towards Master Sabina.

He said, “Master Sabina is faster over a shorter distance, I don’t think he would out stay Arch Rival and at the weights there is very little in it. I might be a bit biased but Master Sabina is the classier of the pair, he is a Gr 1 winner, and has a good turn of foot. If things go his way he is a big runner.”

Master Sabina, a six-year-old gelding by Jet Master, is the only Gr 1 winner in the field and duly carries topweight. However, Woodruff thinks he is up to it. He said, “He finished fifth in the Gold Cup two years ago, despite nearly being brought down.”

Woodruff also pointed out Master Sabina (pictured) had been unlucky in this year’s Vodacom Durban July, when circumstances forced him to be taken back early and he was then simply too far out of his ground. He ran on well but the race was already over.

Master Sabina also has the advantage of an inside draw of two. Gavin Lerena, who rode him to Gr 1 Sansui Summer Cup glory last November as well as in the July, is aboard again. He said recently, “I love riding this horse.”

Master Sabina has shown a liking for Greyville and in 2014 was an impressive winner of the Gr 3 tabGold 2200.

His stablemate, the five-year-old A. P. Arrow gelding Arch Rival, has a big chance on formlines. However, Woodruff believed one of the factors which was against Arch Rival was the tight nature of Greyville racecourse. He said, “He has run his best races on galloping tracks.”

Woodruff said he would like to see Arch Rival one wide in midfield as “he likes to run at them in the straight.” However, Raymond Danielson is going to have his work cut out finding such a position in the running from a wide draw of thirteen.

Arch Rival has won his last two starts, the Gr 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m and a Pinnacle Stakes event over 2450m, both on the galloping Turffontein Standside track.

In the latter event he beat the ruling Gold Cup favourite Enaad by 0,4 lengths and will now be 1,5kg better off with him. When comparing Arch Rival’s Gold Bowl victory to that of Enaad’s Gr 3 Gold Vase win over 3000m at Greyville, Arch Rival also comes out better than Enaad on a line through Smart Mart. On paper Arch Rival has a big shout.

Arch Rival’s last run on June 12 was seven weeks ago, but Woodruff said he was not the sort who needed a preparation run. He clarified, “He is lean and naturally fit. You can get him fit enough at home.”

He described Arch Rival as being “tall and elegant” and “good natured”. The imposing chestnut, who always runs in blinkers, is stereotypical of a stayer and looks to be a huge runner.

Woodruff will be out to end a hoodoo as he has finished second in the Gold Cup no fewer than four times without ever winning it.

David Thiselton

The Drakenstein Stud-based sire Trippi has justified his high price tag and is on the brink of landing his first National Sires Championship, but former champion Silvano looks to have more than just a fair chance of spoling the party on eLan Property Group Gold Cup day on Sunday.

By close of play on Monday Trippi on R18,451,175 was R761,775 ahead of Silvano. Reigning champion Captain Al was only about R100,000 behind Silvano in third place, but doesn’t look to have the runners at the Gold Cup meeting to make up the leeway.

Silvano, on the other hand, has many big race runners on Gold Cup day, so the championship might play out to a thrilling conclusion.

In the Gr 1 R1 million Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup, Silvano has no fewer than four runners, odds-on favourite Marinaresco, the officially best-weighted Punta Arenas, last year’s narrow runner up Ice Machine and also St Tropez. The first prize is R625,000 and Silvano could well make some serious inroads into Trippi’s lead in this race, if not overhaul him, because there is good place money on offer too.

Trippi’s sole runner in the Champions Cup is Baritone, who is not without a chance despite a wide draw.

Earlier, in the Gr 2 R1,25 million eLan Property Group Gold Cup, Silvano is also in the pound seats. He has last year’s runner up Balance Sheet involved as well as Zafira, who is from the stable of staying race maestro Weiho Marwing. Trippi, being a speed influence, has no runners in this event. The first prize in this race is R781,250.

In the Gr 1 R600,000 Thekwini Stakes, which carries a first prize of R375,000, Trippi has a lively chance with Dawn Calling, while Silvano is unrepresented.

However, in the Gr 1 R600,000 Premier’s Champions Stakes, Silvano has a chance with Palladium, while Trippi is unrepresented.

Earlier, in the Gr 2 R300,000 The Debutante, which carries a first prize of R187,500, Trippi has two chances with the promising Trippi’s Girl and Water Lily Lake, while Silvano has one runner, Arissa, who has the ability to upset.

In the R300,000 Umkhomazi Stakes, Trippi is the only one of the pair to have a runner, the speedily-bred topweight Flying Myth.

The race for the Sires title might go right down to the wire, because in the Gr 2 R400,000 Gold Bracelet, which carries a first prize of R250,000, Silvano has the useful Nightingale involved, while Trippi is unrepresented.

If Trippi does need a last gasp opportunity following that race he will get it in the form of Beloved Country in the Listed R150,000 Umgeni Handicap (first prize R93,750) and with two livewires, Night Trip and Tripandie, in the Listed R150,000 Darley Arabian. Night Trip goes for his third successive win in this race.

The 12^th race over 1900m on the poly, which is the last race of the South African season, carries a total stakes of R82,000, with a first prize of R51,250, and Silvano has two good runners in Night Shadow and Shimmering Brook, while Trippi is represented by Trip To Rio.

Trippi, a USA-bred horse by End Sweep, is the most expensive horse to ever be imported to South Africa.

The country is fortunate to have the Maine Chance Farms-owned Silvano as he was originally intended to be a shuttle stallion, but was unable to return home to Germany after his first season here due to an outbreak of African Horse Sickness, which led to a suspension on exports. Consequently it was decided to syndicate him and base him permanently in South Africa. Silvano was SA champion sire in the 2012/2013 season.

David Thiselton

Twice Gold Cup-winning trainer Dean Kannemeyer worked his horses on the polytrack at Summerveld yesterday ahead of the big meeting which has been moved to Sunday.

Kannemeyer has three horses in the R1,25 million eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m and all three look to have winning chances.

The shortest priced of the yard’s runners is the three-year-old Cape Speed, who was a rig and is unbeaten in three starts since being gelded. All three of those wins have been in KZN and included the Gr 3 Track and Ball Derby over 2400m at Scottsville last time out.

Kannemeyer said, “It’s not an easy task for a three-year-old, although he has not been over raced. Only the race will tell whether he stays the trip, but I am convinced he will stay.  Jehan (Malherbe) and I have looked at his pedigree and being by Ideal World out of a Strike Smartly mare (who won up to 1800m) suggests he should stay and he has always given me the impression he will stay. Anthony (Delpelch) is also convinced he will stay. He is a sound horse who has done exceptionally well since gelding and he is still improving.”

Ideal World, who is  by Kingmambo, won a Listed race over 2500m and as a three-year-old finished second in the Gr 2 Prix Niel over 2400m at Longchamp. As a sire he has burst into prominence this season as his daughter Smart Call won the J&B Met and his young progeny have generally been shown to improve markedly as they mature. Cape Speed’s dam is out of Rawl Plug, who was a half-sister to the great Horse Chestnut and who produced a Listed winner over 2500m, Cork Wood, so there is plenty of stamina in the pedigree. Cape Speed jumps from a good draw of eight and carries 55,5kg off a 100 merit rating.

Balance Sheet, a four-year-old gelding by Silvano, finished second in the race last year and had genuine excuses for his downfield finish in the Gr 3 SABC Gold Vase over 3000m on Vodacom Durban July day, where he started 17/10 favourite coming off his win in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m.

Kannemeyer said, “We found he had received a nasty knock on the inside of his cannon bone. He is now doing well. Keagan de Melo (who replaces Delpech) worked him on the poly today and was very pleased and last week he did well in a gallop on the Summerveld grass.”

Balance Sheet was drawn nine last year and this year has a plum draw of three.”

Kannemeyer was also bullish about the outsider of his party, Solar Star, a five-year-old gelding by Kahal who jumps from pole position with regular pilot Stuart Randolph up.

He said, “He ran an excellent race in the Gold Vase when staying on and he was only beaten a short-head for fourth, so I think that showed he stays the trip. He is knocking on the door and you can’t write him off, he will be there.”

Kannemeyer added the Gold Cup was always a rough race so he was hoping for luck in running.

The yard start their meeting in the first race over 1400m with the honest Toreador filly Off Ramp, who is officially 1,5kg under sufferance with the best weighted horses and has a wide draw to contend with. However, she is used to wide draws and gets on well with Delpech, so Kannemeyer expected another good run from this ultra-consistent sort. She should be running on as strongly as usual over this suitable course and distance.

The yard have a very interesting runner in Speed Of Africa in the second, a Juvenile Plate over 1900m on the turf, a race which Cape Speed won last year. Speed Of Africa made a fair debut over 1600m at Scottsville and disappointed over the same course and distance when fancied next time out. However, the latter race was eye-catching as he was very green and, despite being beaten 7,2 lengths, was staying on well at the end. Like Cape Speed, he is by Ideal World out of a Strike Smartly mare. He also reminds Kannemeyer of Cape Speed. He said, “Cape Speed was also all over the place and completely lost in his first couple of starts.”

The yard run the four-year-old Trippi gelding Tripandie in the Listed Darley Arabian over 1600m on the poly. He is returning from a three month layoff.

Kannemeyer said, “He had a break due to a foot abscess. We are trying the mile and it has been playing in the back of mind that we have had to play catch up with him, but we have given him plenty of work.” This gelding recorded a poly hattrick when running on from way back to win going away by two lengths over 1400m last time out in mid-April and on that evidence he should stay the trip.

Delpech rode him in all three of his poly wins and remains aboard. He is drawn in barrier eight and is likely to be coming from off the pace again.

David Thiselton

The Devin Little-trained Highveld raider Fortune Fella is an out and out stayer and might feasibly have a slight advantage over his rivals in the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup on Saturday as the training tracks at his Turffontein base are usable while the KZN tracks are waterlogged with the exception of the Summerveld polytrack.

Little said, “He is an ultra, ultra stayer so will definitely get the trip.”

The four-year-old Mambo In Seattle gelding has to jump from the widest draw of all in the 16 horse field but Little is not overly concerned.

He said, “I will leave it to Craig (Zackey). I prefer to give my horses a chance as they have a turn of foot.” Fortune Fella fits into this mould.

The imposing bay has been aimed at the race since winning the Gr 3 Caradoc Gold Cup over 2850m at Turffontein on April 2. In that race he received 3kg from Arch Rival and beat him by half-a-length. He is now receiving 2,5kg from Arch Rival, so there should not be much in it, so it is interesting to see Arch Rival priced up at 8/1 with Betting World while Fortune Fella is their biggest outsider at 35/1.

Fortune Fella made his first appearance at Greyville on May 28 in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m and Zackey would have learnt something from that race. Little pointed out the trip had clearly been too short for him that day as it was only in the latter stages of the short straight that he had really got going. He finished a far from disgraced 3,9 length eighth to Balance Sheet, although on the downside he will now be 0,5kg worse off with the latter.

Little concluded he would be happy to see his charge switched off and then be close enough turning for home to be in with a chance of making up the leeway as he was confident the horse would “turn it on” in the straight.

Fortune Fella is one of the dark horses of the race. He was due to travel down to Durban tomorrow (Thursday).

David Thiselton