Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Bass has staying power for Champions Season

David Thiselton
Pocket Power arrived at Clairwood last Thursday for his Champions Season campaign and was looking a healthy and happy horse yesterday morning.
Mike Bass’ assistant trainer, Robert Fayd’herbe, said that the superstar had travelled very well, as was usually the case.
He added that his first appearance had not yet been finalised, but that his main aims would once again be the Gold Challenge, the Vodacom Durban July and the Champions Cup.
“He didn’t run well in the Drill Hall last year,” he said. “We might put him in a 1200m sprint as an opener but it hasn’t been discussed yet.”
Fayd’herbe is not convinced that Pocket Power, as is universally believed, is a better horse in Cape Town than Durban.
“His preparation hasn’t gone very well in Durban in his two seasons here,” he said.
Pocket Power missed his Champions Season opener in 2007 in the Drill Hall Stakes when scratched at the start and subsequent to that his infamous foot problem and the weather plagued his preparation.
Regarding 2008, Faydherbe said, “We had him 100% for last year’s July, but he was below par for the Champions Cup.”
Fayd’herbe said that the yard would have some useful stayers to campaign with this season, including Meteor Shower, Thundering Jet, Bill Of Rights and a horse that had returned from an overseas campaign to now join the stable, 2006 Canon Gold Cup winner Diamond Quest.
He sounded particularly bullish about Meteor Shower.
“He had a few problems here last season and didn’t run well in the Gold Cup. I thought it might be because he didn’t stay, especially considering he has won two good races over 2000 and 1800m at Durbanville. But he proved me wrong when winning the Chairman’s Cup last time out over 3200m. The problems he had here must have been the reason for his disappointing Gold Cup run, so I’m looking forward to his campaign this season.”
Among the three-year-olds, the gelding Rushing Wind and last season’s Equus Champion two-year-old filly, Consensual, will be running in the Byerley Turk and the Umzimkhulu Stakes respectively over 1400m at Scottsville on April 19.
“Consensual got sick after Durban last year,” said Fayd’herbe.
Her first two comeback runs were below par but she then ran a decent fourth in the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes.
“In the Majorca on J&B Met day we tried her with blinkers and she pulled the jockey’s arms out. Racing this winter will tell whether she retains that ability she had as a two-year-old.”
The three-year-old male Fayd’herbe sounded most bullish about was the Marsh Shirtliff-owned Jallad gelding, Thanks John.
“He will be going for the Guineas and the Daily News 2000,” he said.
He also had hopes for the yard’s two classy sprinters, Blue Tiger and Gaultier.
Fayd’herbe was keen to know what sort of shape Pocket Power’s adversary, Dancer’s Daughter, was in up in Johannesburg.
He recounted that he had thoroughly enjoyed the Cape Sizzling Summer Season because of the keen rivalry and consequent banter that took place between himself and his good friend, Justin Snaith, trainer of Dancer’s Daughter.

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