Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Great Achievement by Bass team (part two of two)

Part two and final part part of Great Achievement by Bass team by David Thiselton

Mike Bass has an excellent eye for a horse. He looks at his own horses constantly, whether they are leaving their stable in the morning, returning from a gallop or going for a walk in the afternoon. He is instinctively able to tell how they are feeling and will instruct his workriders accordingly, knowing, for example, which ones need to be given a day off, which ones need light work and which ones are approaching their peak. His eye also plays a part at the sales and the yard’s purchasing record speaks for itself. Bass becomes very disappointed indeed when a horse he has picked proves below par, but fortunately that does not happen too often.
Shirtliff pointed to two of Bass’ other major strengths, his patience and his loyalty to his staff.
The three stakes earners from the Met last Saturday provide excellent proof of his patience.
Pocket Power was nurtured through his immature three-year-old year, missing the Durban season. The yard has also had to work around a foot problem that has always bothered him. River Jetez also only came into her own as a four-year-old.
Fort Vogue was seen at one stage by those unfamiliar with his trainer’s methods as an expensive buy turned mediocre performer. In fact Bass’s main reason for taking Fort Vogue to Durban for the winter was so he could keep an eye on him. Fort Vogue now stands as a genuine Vodacom Durban July prospect.
Regarding loyalty, one of Bass’s assistant trainers, former jockey Trevor Taylor, has been with the yard for 32 years, while many of the yard’s grooms are long-standing.
Bass also likes to deflect the accolades from himself and said recently that his workrider, Belinda Haytread, would be able to tell journalists more about the preparation of horses than he could owing to the layout of Milnerton where the tracks run away from the Bass ring.
Haytread rode River Jetez in her final workout last Monday and returned with a glowing report.
One other obvious reason for the success of the Bass yard is the happy animal-farm like environment in which the horses reside.
The stable cat, an adventurous ginger, will often be seen stretched out contentedly on the grass in the ring, while the sausage dogs follow their owners around the yard. There have been chickens and even turkeys wandering around the premises.
Bass’ daughter Candice Robinson is his assistant, while son Mark is the website manager. However, the whole staff contingent appears to be treated as part of the family and Bass’s amazing affinity for horses has extended to all of them.

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