Adam Marcus brings back the classy Priceless Jewel in the Gr 2 Tony Taberer Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m, a race which Bass looks to have a fine chance of winning as he is represented by a strong pair in Fly By Night and Lanner Falcon.

Cuvee Brut is a three-year-old Count Dubois filly, who has only had three starts, all of them over sprints, but she did catch the eye last time out in a MR 68 handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m at Kenilworth when producing a late rattle to win by 0,75 lengths.

On the downside, she was running off only a 75 merit rating and the filly she beat, Ladidah, is a relatively exposed three-year-old who runs off an 81 merit rating but had the advantage of a 4kg claimer aboard. However on the bright side the rest of the field, which included older fillies, were well beaten.

Importantly, Cuvee Brut’s first win over 1000m was at Durbanville, meaning she has experienced a left hand turn. Cuvee Brut is out of a half-sister to the useful Ziplock, who won up to 1600m, but Crawford was not quite sure whether she would see out the 1600m trip. However he said that she had been “doing well.” She jumps from draw five and will be ridden by Corné Orffer.

Candice Robinson, who is Bass’s daughter and assistant trainer, confirmed that the three-year-old Trippi filly Inara would appreciate the extra 200m having stayed on well in the Gr 2 Choice Carrier’s Championship over 1400m last time out for a 4,5 length fourth. In her penultimate start she finished just 0,4 lengths in second to the well regarded Indaba in a Novice Plate over 1600m, with the rest of the field well beaten, and the latter went on to slam them in impressive style in a MR 67 handicap over 1600m at Kenilworth.

However, Robinson said that although Inara had been doing well, the yard would be happy with a place on Saturday in a field of this quality.

All three of the horses who beat her in that race, Cold As Ice, Double Whammy and Jet Set Go, are in Saturday’s race, which is once again a level weights event, and Majmu’s presence will make it even tougher.

However, the pace is likely to be on, which should suit her down to the ground, and she is also well drawn in two, so can’t be ignored in bets like the trifecta and quartet. Grant van Niekerk retains the ride.

Robinson said that the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint winner Fly By Night, a much improved five-year-old Jet Master mare, was very well and had come on from her victorious seasonal reappearance in a Conditions Plate over 1000m at Kenilworth, so would have a “big shout” over the same course and distance in the Southern Cross Stakes. She was well weighted in that last race, but has earned her merit rating of 106, which is the third highest in the field behind the 108 merit rated Priceless Jewel and the 109 rated Gr 1 winner Alboran Sea. Former stable jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe rode Fly By Night to victory in the Mercury Sprint and is re-united with her at the expense of current stable jockey Van Niekerk, who rides Lanner Falcon. Robinson said that Lanner Falcon, a Trippi filly who was runner up in last year’s Cape Fillies Guineas, was in good shape, but the 1000m might just be a touch too sharp for her. Fly By Night is drawn one and Lanner Falcon eight, so the connections will be watching the two earlier sprints with interest to see which side of the course will be preferred by the jockeys on the day.

Priceless Jewel, a five-year-old Ashaawes mare, had quite a busy campaign last season, which yielded four wins, including a Gr 3 over 1400m and a Listed event over 1200m, and she also finished a fantastic two length third to the great Beach Beauty in the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m. She was kept going for the first couple of weeks this season in order to take part in the Gr 3 eDiamond Stakes over 1200m, in which she looked impossible to oppose at the weights, and duly won by 3,5 lengths.

The yard then sent her for a deserved holiday on the farm and have only brought her back slowly.

Basil Marcus said, “This is obviously a prep run for her and is a little bit short, but she is doing well at home. We are going to see how she goes and then decide where we go from there as there are only limited opportunities for her in the Cape summer season.”

Sean Cormack takes the ride from a nice draw of five which in a small field of nine will enable her to switch to whichever side is considered favourable on the day, so she could be a threat sitting off the pace and then running on.