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)

The highlight of a low key meeting at Greyville on Friday night was a ride by Anton Marcus on the Doug Campbell-trained The Lonsdale in the first race which would be a master class lesson to any aspiring youngster and would be contender for ride of the season if there was such an award. Marcus and Campbell both went on to score hattricks at the meeting.

The Lonsdale was slow away from a wide draw in the Maiden over 1400m and was initially caught eight lengths off the pace. The Mogok gelding had over-raced behind the leaders in a 1600m race in his previous start and consequently found little extra in the closing stages. Marcus had clearly done his homework on Friday night, the first time he had ridden The Lonsdale, because it was soon clear the expected faster in this shorter race was not materializing and the horse was once again beginning to over race. Marcus summed up the situation in an instant and immediately switched his horse outward and rushed him some eight lengths around horses to the front, from where he was able to give him a breather running up the hill. He then stole a length or two at the top of the straight and held on to beat the admittedly weak field by 1,5 lengths. “Superman” had once again done it for the public, who have always appreciated his professionalism in treating every race, whether it be the Vodacom Durban July or a Maiden Plate, with equal resolve. Campbell was full of praise for the ride and confirmed Marcus had phoned him at least twice during the week to discuss the race. It was a good training feat by Campbell too as the Scott Brothers-bred gelding, who races in the famous colours of Des Scott, had earlier had to have a throat operation and has to wear special glue on shoes. Marcus was typically humble and said he had “wanted to get him going” because having watched some replays he had noticed the horse had often “flattered to deceive”. His plans were initially scuppered by The Lonsdale’s tardy start, but he was given a second chance when the pace proved slow.

The two stand out equine performances of the night came from the Duncan Howells-trained three-year-old Argonaut colt Kitty’s Destiny and the Kumaran Naidoo-trained three-year-old High Chaparal filly Princess Vurunya.

Kitty’s Destiny had always struck as a horse who would get better and better and who would enjoy going over ground. He was comfortable in the running of Friday’s MR 66 Handicap over 2000m under Muzi Yeni, who has now without doubt broken into the top echelon of riders in the country, and it was race over when he moved up effortlessly at the top of the straight. He went on to win by 5,75 lengths running off a merit rating of 81, so looks to be going places.

Princess Vurunya later ran in a MR 75 Handicap for fillies and mares over 2000m on the turf and made light of her 86 merit rating, relaxing nicely before quickening well and winning by 2,75 lengths under Anthony Delpech.

Earlier, Marcus and Campbell had scored a quick double when the Campbell-bred and part-owned A.P. Answer filly Dark Rose, who has been knocking on the door for a whole year, proved her liking for 1400m and finally got her nose in front at the expense of the promising Michael Roberts-trained Durban Blues, who was making her seasonal reappearance.

The Glen Kotzen-trained Western Winter mare French Lass, who had been campaigning in Port Elizabeth, then made it two out of two on the Greyville poly by winning a MR 70 Handicap for fillies and mares.

Western Winter progeny then made it a quick double when the blinkered Alyson Wright-trained gelding Dark Avenger relished the 2000m trip with blinkers on and beat a maiden field easily under Brandon Lerena.

The Charles Laird-trained three-year-old Australian-bred Bernadini colt Team Guys has always been a talked about horse due to his excellent homework and he is starting to put it together on the racecourse. He won a MR 73 Handicap over 1600m under another finely judged ride by Marcus to follow up on his recent maiden win. It was a meritorious victory as he beat a horse who had brought some useful Cape Town form, Ferdinand The Bull, and the rest of the field well beaten under.

Campbell clinched his hattrick in the last race, a fillies and mares Maiden over 2000m on the turf, and made it a double on the night for progeny of A.P. Answer that he had bred and part-owns. The three-year-old filly Maybe relished the step up in trip and ran on well to score comfortably under Ian Sturgeon.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Anton Marcus

Silver Mountain has been installed 16-10 favourite for Saturday’s Grand Parade Cape Guineas with World Sports Betting. The Mike Azzie-trained Premiers Champion winner Rabada is next on 3-1 and Mike de Kock’s Investec Dingaans scorer Noah From Goa is a 4-1 chance.

Oddsmaker Hilton Hasson said: “We feel that, although Silver Mountain is something really special, the three-year-old fillies crop is not as good as everyone would like to believe. This is why she isn’t hovering around the even money mark as probably expected.”

Victory would make the Mike Bass star the first to complete the Cape Fillies Guineas double since Star Effort in 1991 and the first filly to win the this race for 22 years. If all 17 declared stand their ground it will be the biggest field for more than two decades.

Aldo Domeyer, who has ridden Silver Mountain in all her five starts, was forced to give up his rides at Kenilworth on Saturday. According to Andre Nel, for whom he missed a double, the problem was a twisted thumb ligament “but nothing is going to keep him off Silver Mountain.”

Black Arthur is a notable absentee with Justin Snaith explaining: “I don’t want him to get hammered like Bela-Bela did, going up seven points for finishing fifth. I would rather wait. He will go for the Politician and the Investec Cape Derby.”

Stable jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who has won three of the last five runnings, has opted for Baritone rather than Star Chestnut (Greg Cheyne) and Ready To Attack (Donovan Dillon).

Dean Kannemeyer, successful five times in the last 11 seasons, will be without a runner after deciding against Mambo Mime (“I wasn’t happy with him after his last run”), Lord Marshal and Cape Speed.

Saturday’s Kenilworth meeting will be a Hassen Adams-inspired spectacular with the GrandWest Paradiso Lounge providing live entertainment, the children’s Burger King theme park expected to attract thousands and the Stop Hunger Now campaign aiming for 25 920 meals to feed hungry kids.

World Sports Betting prices: 16-10 Silver Mountain, 3-1 Rabada, 4-1 Noah From Goa, 7-1 Brazuca, 12-1 Budapest, 14-1 Hard Day’s Night, 16-1 Eighth Wonder, Victorious Jay, 20-1 Illuminator, Nassa, 25-1 Star Chestnut, 33-1 Liege, Ready To Attack, 40-1 Baritone, 50-1 Purple Mountains, Rodney, Jet Air.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Silver Mountain (Kenilworth Racing)

Paterfamilias looks the obvious answer to the Premier Trophy at Kenilworth tomorrow but favourites have a poor record in this race and Dennis Drier is expecting Durban July second Punta Arenas to prove a major threat.

There was over four lengths between them over a furlong less in the Green Point three weeks ago but that was Punta Arenas’s first run for 16 weeks. “He will improve the three or four lengths that he needs so it could be interesting,” remarked Dennis Drier who is bidding for his third Premier in four years.

Aldo Domeyer rode Paterfamilias last time and now Grant van Niekerk takes the ride. “Grant is stable jockey and he wanted to ride the horse,” Candice Robinson explained. “Paterfamilias is well and in good form.”

The favourite has won this race only once in the last ten years and four times finished nowhere so don’t be surprised if there is an upset. Royal Dreamer and last year’s second Helderberg Blue look the most likely contenders.

Sublime Lady may beat the older horses in a wide-open Victress Stakes although stable companion Come Fly With Me makes a lot of appeal. However she has never raced as far as this before and Mrs Robinson has reservations. “I could be wrong but I’m not sure about Come Fly With Me staying the 1 800m,” she said.

Sean Cormack has won the last two runnings and has a big chance on Gathering Flame. “She needed her first run, she is doing well and she will run a nice race,” said Drier.

The first hurdle that punters have to overcome is the Western Cape Bookmakers Association Maiden Juvenile, the opening two-year-old race of the Cape season.

Most of the eight runners are cheaply bought and R400 000 purchase Var Ahead (a daughter of SA Fillies Nursery winner and Allan Robertson second Waywest Goddess) cost more than the rest put together. Several rival trainers said they had heard that the colt is fast.

But how fast? “I don’t know,” answered Justin Snaith. “He is a tank of a horse but I don’t rev up my two-year-olds anymore.”

The twinkle in Vaughan Marshall’s eye suggested he is keen on taking him on with R25 000 buy Desert Dreamer – “She is tiny but she is quick and she has beaten everything I’ve worked her with.”

Glen Kotzen, in double form on Wednesday, runs the Zimbabwe-bred Mount Keith who is also small. He said: “The horse has a big action but it might be a bit short for him. He will be doing his best work at the end.”

Paul Reeves has similar reservations about R25 000 buy Miss Stake, saying: “I don’t know that she is an 800m horse. She would be better over 1 000m.”

Elevated cost R100 000 and is by SA Derby winner Elusive Fort out of a sprinter.  “He is more of a classy sport than a speedy sort,” said Riaan van Reenen.

Rebel Force cost only R15 000 despite being out of a half-sister to a Breeders’ Cup juvenile winner. “He has come to hand quickly but he is not a speedy horse,” cautioned Mike Stewart.

Carl Burger said he couldn’t split Los Ninos (R70 000) and On The Right Path (R30 000) and added: “They are nice horses and I expect them both to go well.”

So it would appear to be a question of whether Marshall’s little filly can topple the Snaith powerhouse. Maybe she can.

By Michael Clower

Picture (Liesl King): Paterfamilias