Inara will bid for her fourth Grade 1 win when she runs in Johannesburg for the first time in the L. Jaffee Empress Club Stakes at Turffontein on April 16 – and she will raid from Durban.

She did not thrive in Durban last year but the Bass team blame the dusty stabling – they have a different yard this time – and it being too near all the horse traffic for her to relax.

The four-year-old is one of 12 Mike Bass horses that arrived at Summerveld last Friday. The others included Cape Fillies Guineas winner Silver Mountain, Lanner Falcon (third to Inara in the Majorca), Helderberg Blue, Ernie and Nightingale whose impressive handicap debut on Queen’s Plate day put her in many punters’ notebooks.

More Bass horses will make the great trek for Champions Season but they won’t include – at least for the time being – Investec Cape Derby third Marinaresco.

Candice Robinson explained: “He is to run in the Winter Guineas at Kenilworth on April 23. He could then stay in Cape Town for the rest of the Winter Series or go to Durban for the Daily News on May 28.”

Carol Bass added: “He is a very good horse and we originally rated him our best three-year-old.”

By Michael Clower
Picture: Inara (Liesl King)