The Mike Bass-trained Silvano filly Silver Mountain obliterated the field in the Gr 1 World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas yesterday under Aldo Domeyer and was later described by Bass’s daughter and assistant Candice Robinson as “a freak.”

Robinson believes she could even be better than the like of Sun Classique, who won a Gr 1 overseas, and another former stable star Crimson Palace, or at least as good, although she added, “Time will tell.”

Bass watched at home but was on the phone to the connections shortly after the victory, which is bound to provide him with a tonic in his own private battle to overcome his well-publicised recent health problems.

The tall and rangy bay started at odds of 9/10 with the two main dangers being the unbeaten pair, the Mike de Kock-trained Highveld raider Noor, and the Justin Snaith-trained Bela-Bela. They started at 28/10 and 11/2 respectively.

The pace was a fair one in windless conditions and was set by Oceans Swell, while Noor was quite handy in a field that became strung out. Domeyer managed to place  Silver Mountain in about midfield on the outside from a wide draw, where she looked like a ball of energy waiting to be let loose. Bela-Bela sat right at the back.

In the straight the field fanned out and Silver Mountain was angled to the centre. She put the race to bed in a matter of strides and was soon powering clear. She showed no signs of stopping and put many length between herself and the second-placed Glen Kotzen-trained 100/1 shot Our Destiny, with the Bass-trained Taffety Tart in third.

The three-year-old fillies crop this season has not shone at all overall to date, but Silver Mountain now stands out like beacon. On visual appearance alone she looks to be a star in the making.

She is owned by Maine Chance Farms Stud and was bred by Highlands Farms Stud.

Earlier, the brilliant Sean Tarry-trained four-year-old Captain Al filly Carry On Alice stamped herself as the best sprinting filly in the country after beating a top class field in the Gr 2 World Sports Betting Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m under S’Manga Khumalo. In a thrilling finish she only just got her nose down in time to beat the Brett Crawford-trained Cuvee Brut, but she was carrying a 2kg Gr 1 penalty. Carry On Alice started at odds of 2/1 and jumped well before tracking Rock On Baby towards the inside. The rest of the field were bunched towards the outside.

Khumalo switched Carry On Alice inward at about the 400m mark and she showed her usual fantastic turn of foot. A wall of horses had quickened towards the outside headed by the Glen Kotzen-trained Princess Royal and Carry On Alice began drifting to that side. However, Cuvee Brut produced a late burst and emerged as the main challenger on the standside and as the horses drove to the line it was impossible to separate them with the naked eye. However, the slow motion replay favoured Carry On Alice and the photo finish confirmed it. Cuvee Brut, running off a mere 98 merit rating, was 6,5kg under sufferance with Carry On Alice, so this was a cracking run. The Dean Kanemeyer-trained Real Princess finished third.

The Listed World Sports Betting Southeaster Sprint, a handicap event over 1100m, was also a thriller. The Dean Kannemeyer-trained four-year-old Captain Al gelding Captain Al Fredo caught the brave Kimberly raider, the Coenie de Beer-trained Talktothestars, close to home but then had to hang on grimly as the Bass-trained Ernie flew home on the inside. Captain Al Fredo just got there under Grant Behr from Ernie and Talktothestars.

By David Thiselton

Jockey Jarred Samuel has escaped the terrible fall he took near the finish line of Friday night’s fourth race at Greyville without any head injury or broken bones.

He was placed on a ventilator and sedated by medical experts after the incident and taken to hospital. He remained on the ventilator throughout Friday night but doctors were pleased with his progress and began bringing him out of sedation yesterday (Saturday).

However, probably due to all the equipment etc down his throat he became panicky while awaking so they put him back into sedation. He did very well through last night (Saturday) while remaining on the ventilator and will be brought out of sedation once again today (Sunday).

Samuel’s horse Fly Away With Me clipped heels and fell on the finish line and the meeting was delayed for a long time as he was attended to.
– David Thiselton

Silver Mountain has what it takes to lift the roof off the stands for Mike Bass and his family in the World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas at Kenilworth tomorrow.

Throughout the last four nightmare months of near-death, amputation and desperation – and a recovery that has had to be fought for every step of the way – this filly has shone like a beacon of hope.

Silver Mountain (Liesl King)

Her trainer will be at the racecourse to see her – and he has been at the track most mornings this week – with his determination to get back to his old self proving far better medicine that anything the doctors can prescribe.

Nobody knows better than he does how frustrating it has been to send out the runner-up in each of the last three years and the way Silver Mountain won the Choice Carriers four weeks ago has convinced the bookies that victory is a formality – the sponsors have her at 11-20, Betting World at 6-10 and favourites have won four of the last five runnings.

Some in the stable believe all she needs is a decent gallop and no bad luck. “She has plenty of pace and a turn of foot,” says a confident-sounding Robert Fayd’Herbe.  Bass’s daughter Candice is worried about the draw but wife Carol recalls how Sun Classique won from gate 13 nine years ago.

On paper Aldo Domeyer’s task is easier than it was in the Choice Carriers. This time he has ten inside him instead of 14 and twice as much ground in which to get in before the bend starts. But the bend is significantly sharper and going three wide could be fatal.

So what can spoil the party? Seemingly not the favourite’s stable companion Taffety Tart who was closest of those that ran in the Choice Carriers and is best-priced 20-1. “She is going to prefer this longer straight but she had every chance last time,” says Grant van Niekerk, “and the other filly is very good.”

Flying Ice (16-1) was beaten just under three lengths. Can she close the gap? “Over a mile, definitely,” answers Neil Bruss. “She drew badly in the Carriers and I think she also needed the run. She has come on a lot since.”

Flying Ice (Nkosi Hlophe)

Justin Snaith has won four of the last eight runnings, reckons he could win five of tomorrow’s nine races and that he has the ammunition to take the big one. “Silver Mountain is going to be a hard nut to crack but I couldn’t pick two better fillies to have a go at her,” hesays. “Bela-Bela (6-1) could still be a bit green but she is very well while A Time To Dream (winner of her last three and 12-1) is no slouch. Indeed I would almost put her level with Bela-Bela.”

But maybe the biggest danger to a Bass red-letter day, the draw apart, could be 9-1 shot Noor who has won her only two starts. Both were in much weaker company but Mike de Kock has not got where he is today by running no-hopers in classics. Indeed he has won this one three times – twice in the last three years – and had four seconds.

“I like this filly and she can run,” he enthuses. “Her last win was in a handicap when she was giving weight to older horses and I think she will handle the step-up no problem. The only thing is she has had to travel and she was delayed five hours on the road by an accident.”

Well In Flight (14-1) and Icy Fire (20-1) can be expected to show improvement on their Choice Carriers running as can 25-1 chance Anglet (Paddy Kruyer: “She got bumped coming out of the gate and she was baulked a furlong out”) but she has a terrible draw. At 33-1 and 5-1 a place the lightly-raced Our Destiny is probably best of the long shots.

By Michael Clower

The latest series of KZN Summer Chapter Challenge finals will be run this weekend, with the two around the turn being at Greyville tonight and the one down the straight being at Scottsville on Sunday.

The 1600m final on turf is wide open. Nineteen Fourteen would be a deserved winner as one who always gives of his best. He has finished a close third in the winter version of this race before at Clairwood. That was his only ever start beyond 1400m and he showed a good turn of foot, which took him to the front, but he was caught late. However, the five-year-old is now a year-and-a-half older and should see out the trip on the sharper Greyville track. Lastly, the draw has proved important on the Greyville turf track recently and he is drawn in pole. Red Rover is drawn nicely in five and on his last turf run over this trip, which was in this race at Scottsville a year ago, he has a chance as he finished third in that race just two lengths behind Way Of Light, who has gone on to win another three races.

Nineteen Fourteen (Nkosi Hlophe)

Diamond King’s best run was over course and distance when winning the Listed KZN Guineas Trial back in 2013 and he looked set for big things, but issues, mainly to do with muscles, have hindered him. However, these issues are largely behind him and he is due a win but the wide draw is against him. Baltic Amber is a talented sort who is distance suited and well drawn.  Caribbean Day is known as a Scottsville 1600m specialist, but has in fact never run over the Greyville turf 1600m. The two courses are similar and from a good draw this never to be underestimated sort should be a contender. Those five make the most appeal and are selected in the order mentioned.

In the 1800m final Nicklaus is drawn in pole and looks sure to be primed for this suitable race. Night Shadow has relished being stepped up to this trip and beyond and has won his last two starts. Delpech now gets the ride from a plum draw of three. Qatar Springs has some class about him and will enjoy this trip, but has to handle a four point raise for his last win and is drawn very wide.  Pure Valor makes some appeal despite being 1kg under sufferance. He enjoyed the step up to this trip on the poly last time and has always struck as one who has more ability than his current 71 merit rating suggests. Trainer Lowan Dennyschen also knows how to have them primed and the Dynasty gelding has a manageable draw of eight. The King’s Hand should be running on from a draw of eleven over a suitable trip and Crime Victim has the class to carry top weight but the trip is a touch sharp and he has a very wide draw. They are selected in the order mentioned.

In the other races on the night, all on the poly, Calabash caught the eye on debut over 1400m on the Greyville turf and could beat Bank The Cash and Samovar in the first over 1600m.

Red Rover (Nkosi Hlophe)

The second over 1600m is a weak event and Bare All could lead from start to finish under Delpech having run some fair races in Cape Town. The first-timer She’s The One is a half-sister to the fair sort Leeuloop Jet and being by Miesque’s Approval should love the poly.

In the third over 2000m, Oblivion has stayed on well over 1800m on the Vaal sand before and could be the one to side with in a weak race and Zilla has a shout if she stays, but is not a certainty to. Juds Express can also be considered.

In the fourth over 2000m, Silver Inspiration is the form choice and could beat home Timeforatiger and Yell.

The fifth is a Novice Plate over 1400m and Do Be Snappy is officially 5kg under sufferance with Translunar but has the action and breeding which should make him ideally suited to the poly and he also comes from the stronger Cape Town centre so his merit rating might be a tad suppressed. The hard-knocking Translunar and the only filly in the race, Mayfair, are first and second best in at the weights respectively and are both distance suited.

The sixth over 1400m is the Non-Black Type Fairway Couriers River Indigo Handicap over 1400m and Alice Springs faces weaker than she has been and could carry topweight to victory. Chennai Babe has been a revelation on the poly and is likely to make a bold bid for a hat-trick from draw three despite having been given a six point raise for her last win. Red Label is course and distance suited and well drawn.

In the 1200m Chapter Challenge final on Sunday at Scottsville, Thunderwood has some good form and comes in with a nice galloping weight over a suitable trip. Surefire is the only female in the race and is interesting dropped back to the distance of her only ever handicap win off a one point lower mark. Highway Explorer has some class and is course and distance suited. Apollo’s Gift looks to be a promising sort and will appreciate the step up in trip. The classy Split The Breeze is course and distance suited and is capable of carrying top weight into the money.

By David Thiselton

Duncan Howells’ unbeaten filly Cosmic Light had a slight setback upon arrival in Cape Town, which saw her progress interrupted. It was not a serious problem but considering her class the yard did not want to take any chances. She is consequently only making her comeback in the Gr 2 Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m at Kenilworth on Saturday, a race which falls on the same day as her original intended target, the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas.

Howells will not aim her at anything big for the rest of the Cape Summer Of Champions Season. However, she will likely stay on at the end of the season for the Gr 3 Vasco Prix du Cap over 1400m at Kenilworth on February 20, 2016, before returning to KZN.

Howells was thrilled with the run of Same Jurisdiction in the Gr 2 Cape Merchants over 1200m last time out. He felt she had run “a cracker” considering she had to give weight to all of the boys. She will now run in a conditions plate and then go for her first intended big race of the season, the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes over 1800m on January 9.

Meanwhile, Howells’ talented but temperamental colt Sylvester The Cat will be gelded following his refusal to jump in the Gr 2 Selangor Cup on November 21. He won’t run again in the Cape Summer Of Champions Season.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Cosmic Light (Nkosi Hlophe)