Dennis Drier was disappointed with Punta Arenas run in the Gr 2 Premier Trophy on Saturday but his CTS Million Dollar contender Seventh Plain is doing well and will have his final preparation run in the Listed Sophomore Sprint over 1200m at Kenilworth on January 2.

Punta Arenas failed to quicken from off the pace on Saturday and finished a disappointing 3,4 length fifth in the 1800m event. However, he remains on track for the J&B Met via the Gr 2 Peninsula Handicap over 1800m on January 9. A look back at his record suggests there should not be too much to be concerned about because two seasons ago, when ultimately running a fine 1,95 length third in the Met, his Cape Summer Of Champions Season form read very similarly to what it does so far this season.

In that season he started with a four length seventh in the Green Point Stakes, as opposed to a 5,3 length seventh is this season’s Green Point, and he then went on to finish a 4,3 length eighth in the Premier Trophy, as opposed to his 3,4 length fifth this season. He then went on to finish a much improved 1,75 length third in the Peninsula before his excellent Met run. The seven-year-old gelding blossomed in the Champions Season and progeny of Silvano do tend to get better with age, so his relatively advanced years are of little concern.

Drier admitted Seventh Plain had ultimately needed his run in the R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes on November 21, his seasonal reappearance. He is clearly better than that effort in which he only just managed to hang on for fourth, 5,75 lengths behind the winner Budapest, for after jumping from a wide draw his usual effortless cruising speed coupled with his tremendous turn of foot were not at their sharpest. However, under Drier’s expert guidance he should be spot on for his chief target, the Million Dollar, over 1400m on January 23.

Drier’s best result so far this Cape Summer Of Champions Season was winning the Gr 2 Cape Merchants with a horse he has always rated, the four-year-old Trippi gelding Triptique, and this horse will now go for the Gr 2 weight for age (with Gr 1 and Gr 2 penalties) Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes over the same course and distance on December 27. The Merchants was a handicap in which the imposing horse only carried 52kg, although he was 1,5kg under sufferance, and he will have it much tougher here, especially as he will carry a Gr 2 penalty. The handicappers raised him from 93 to 101. Triptique might possibly be aimed at the prestigious Gr 1 L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate, as Drier has always believed he would go further, but a decision will only  be made after the Diadem.

Unfortunate news from the yard is that Generalissimo, who was one of the chief sprinters in the stable, will be out for the season.

By David Thiselton

The Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas contender Budapest put in a pleasing gallop at Kenilworth last Wednesday under the watchful eye of trainer Gareth van Zyl and it is all systems go for the Lithianian gelding ahead of Saturday’s R1 million race.

Budapest was a 4,25 length winner of the R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m last time out on November 21 from a good draw. The collateral form is interesting because the runner up Anglet then went on to finish a 5,8 length fourth to Silver Mountain in the Gr 1 World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas two weeks later. Silver Mountain is quoted at around 9/20 for Saturday’s race, while Budapest is around 9/1.

However, Silver Mountain has a plum draw of two while Budapest is drawn wide out in 15. Van Zyl is not too concerned by the draw due to the athletic bay’s gatespeed and handy running style.

By David Thiselton

Blarney Bay seems sure to give punters a run for their money in the Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap at Kenilworth today.

This free-running galloper loves to go off in front and the 1 400m is his ideal trip. True, he has to give weight all round and his task is made even harder by being raised 2kg for his last win.

That was in a Pinnacle over the same distance when he beat subsequent Green Point winner Captain America and had a string of other big names behind including last Saturday’s Premier scorer Paterfamilas and third-placed Helderberg Blue.

Of course such results need to be taken with a pinch of salt but Brandon May’s 4kg claim will help. “Heavelon van der Hoven (who rode him last time) is going on holiday and, as Brandon is still claiming 4kg, I thought why not give him a chance,” says Mike Robinson (pictured).

Blarney Bay opened at 9-2 with World Sports Betting yesterday and the improving Sheer Trouble, winner of three of his last four, is 16-10 favourite.

Robinson can also take the opening Welcome Maiden with 7-2 chance Prize Peg who drops in distance for this. But that, apparently, is not significant – “She is so well and showing me so much pace that I thought I should let her run,” her trainer explains.

On the book there is little in it between Donavan Mansour’s mount and Princess Jane (also 7-2) who is invariably right there at the death.

Artic Teon has a clear chance in the Summer Of Champions Maiden although the opening 7-10 is giving nothing away. But here the step-up in distance is relevant. “I’ve been waiting for a stayers’ maiden for some time,” says Andre Nel whose good run was temporarily halted last Wednesday when hot favourite Keep On Chooglin flopped and was reported coughing.

“We did have a lot of coughing but it’s mostly gone,” says Nel. “Keep On Chooglin coughs every time he runs and I think it was just a flat run. I may have run him too soon after his previous race.”

Exclusive Knight (9-2), attempting to win at the 34^th attempt (he has been placed 19 times), also steps up in trip. “Competition is a bit weaker over this 2 500m. Over 1 800m you’ve got three-year-olds coming up all the time,” says Piet Steyn who has an interesting story about Money Surger with whom he won for the ninth time in 76 races on Saturday.

Nobody bid for her as a yearling and a float driver, picking up the yearlings after the sales, rang Steyn when found her on her own. Steyn told him to deliver her to him and rang breeder Dan de Wet. He wanted R5 000, they settled on R3 000 and Steyn named her Money Surger because he believes she would prove to be just that. She was won R557 000 so far.

Justin Snaith, now only three short of 2 000 winners, has a big chance with 15-10 favourite Sub Zero in race three but Mr Piscato is marginally preferred at 5-2.

By Michael Clower

Paterfamilias has been cut from 20-1 to 14-1 by World Sports Betting for the J & B Met after giving Mike Bass his third Premier Trophy in ten seasons at Kenilworth on Saturday. He remains a 16-1 shot with Betting World.

The six-year-old was always travelling like a winner and led a furlong out to justify 14-10 favouritism, scoring by a comfortable length and a quarter from last season’s Met runner-up Gold Onyx. The latter was having his first race for four and a half months and ran on most encouragingly.

Winning rider Grant van Niekerk reckons there is more to come and said: “Paterfamilias is a horse to follow for the Met. He ran very well here despite getting cut into behind.”

Paterfamilias (Liesl King)

Candice Robinson added: “He was drawn wide in last season’s Met and hopefully he will have better luck this time. He has loads of ability, although he has had two tendon injuries, and I don’t see why he shouldn’t run in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate first.”

Gold Onyx has been clipped from 66-1 to 50-1 and S’Manga Khumalo said: “He wants further than this 1 800m but I was pleased with his run.”

Third-placed Helderberg Blue, 50-1 for the Met, will first tackle the Peninsula Handicap on January 9. Master’s Eye (now 150-1) would have finished a lot closer than fourth if he had not clipped the heels of the winner early on and then stumbled badly when doing the same to the runner-up just over a furlong out.

King Of Pain (eighth and now as big as 50-1) also had a hard luck story because he was repeatedly baulked when trying to get a clear run. But there were no such obvious excuses for Punta Arenas who managed only fifth and has been pushed out from 25-1 to 33-1.

Andre Nel had been planning the Victress Trophy for Ma Choix ever since Sabine Plattner’s mare gave him his first winner at the end of September. She fairly romped home at 20-1 with stand-in Brandon Lerena reckoning that this was his first visit to Kenilworth since the 2013 Met.

This was Nel’s first Graded success and he promptly upped the target, saying: “Ma Choix will get a proper penalty for this win so she may now have a go at the Maine Chance Paddock Stakes (Jan 9).”

Grant Behr, unplaced on Indaba, has been suspended for a week (Dec 16-22) for interference to Sublime Lady 300m out. Sensible Lover and Zante also suffered.

Justin Snaith made an impassioned plea for more competition in the two-year-old races after the Bernard Fayde’Herbe-ridden Var Ahead booked his Met day ticket by outclassing the opposition from the start in the first juvenile race of the season.

Snaith said: “At this time of year 60-70% of a trainer’s yard consists of two-year-olds and they are doing nothing. We need to get them running and the handicappers need to slow down on the handicapping of young horses so we can. Then owners can have a quick return like they do in Australia.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Paterfamilias (Liesl King)

Mike Bass is to retire at the end of the season when his daughter Candice Robinson will take over the Milnerton yard.

Bass, 70, informed his staff at their pre-Christmas party on Friday and Mrs Robinson confirmed the announcement in a Tellytrack interview at Kenilworth on Saturday, saying: “I will take out my licence for the new season – it’s exciting – and my father will still be there in an advisory capacity.”

Bass’s health has been hit hard by the savage attack of pneumonia in August that nearly killed him and led to the loss of part of his right leg. Candice has worked with him for the past 13 years.

Bass’s training career started in 1976 and since then he has been Western Province champion trainer nine times, won the Durban July three times, the Met on five occasions and six Queen’s Plates. The legendary Pocket Power has been a major contributor.

Meanwhile, an ominous question mark hangs over Sean Cormack’s career and Dennis Drier’s stable jockey decided to forego his six rides at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Cormack, 45, said: “I’ve got a health issue, I will be sidelined for quite a while and it doesn’t sound positive. It has all happened very quickly and it has come as a shock.”

By Michael Clower

Picture: Mike Bass (Nkosi Hlophe)