The six-time champion explained: “I have tended to ride shorter in recent years as I have found that the higher you sit the more it helps the horse. Whereas the lower you sit the more you move about on him.”

Act Of War and Piere Strydom (Liesl King)

Joey Ramsden is another doing things differently and reaping the rewards. “”We started interval training this season with the horses doing two or three pieces of work a day instead of just one,” he said. “Some horses are even doing three or four in a day and I have found that it makes a tremendous difference.”

Star filly Majmu’s departure from South Africa has been put back by six months. Mike de Kock had originally planned to put the Avontuur Cape Fillies Guineas winner into quarantine next month.

But son and assistant Matthew said: “She will run in the Triple Crown and maybe the Woolavington. Then we will see about going overseas.”

Bass’ is known for his ability to bring continual improvement out of his horses, but his Paddock Stakes record proves that he can bring the best out of young horses too if they are ready as three of his Paddock Stakes victories have been with three-year-olds.

He had previously won it with the three-year-old Perfect Order in 1992, the four-year-old Dollar Fortune in 1996 and the three-year-old Crimson Palace in 2002.

Saturday’s was a 57^th career Gr 1 victory for Bass and a first for Van Niekerk, although the latter did land himself a one week suspension for causing interference at about the 1100m mark.

The Paddock Stakes is regarded as one of the most sort after races to win in South Africa as it adds tremendous broodmare value, so owner Gaynor Rupert of Drakenstein Stud was understandably thrilled with Inara’s win as well as with Jet Belle’s third place finish.

Inara (left) and Athina (right) – Liesl King

Inara went off at very generous odds of 20/1, considering she had finished only 2,5 lengths behind the mighty Majmu in the Gr 1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas and was always going to relish the extra 200m.

It looked at one stage as if she might be unlucky, as she was squeezed out a bit when the field moved towards the outside rail, but Van Niekerk’s split second decision to switch inward and go all out for a gap way inside of where he was proved to be a winning move.

Bass said Inara would now likely go for the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m on J&B Met day, where she is drawn very well in three, as opposed to her wide on Saturday.

Bass will have a strong hand in that race as he has also entered two other classy Trippi fillies, Hammie’s Hooker and Lanner Falcon, as well as the Western Winter filly Supreme Sunset.

Hammie’s Hooker started as the 5/1 joint second favourite in the Paddock Stakes on Saturday but faded out to finish a 5,95 length ninth. Bass said that she had to do too much down the back straight to gain the handy position she turned for home in, and it would have been asking for “the impossible” for her to have still gone on and won. She has come out of the race fine and is on track for the Majorca, which will also be a more suitable trip for her and where she has drawn well in eight out of the 22 entries.

Lanner Falcon, who looks to be a sprint-miler, is entered in Saturday’s Gr 2 weight for age Sceptre Stakes which has attracted a strong field, albeit of only seven runners.

Supreme Sunset beat the like of Athina and Majmu in Johannesburg when winning the Gr 3 Jo’burg Spring Fillies and Mares Challenge over 1450m, although it has to be said that Majmu was unlucky in that race.

However, she proved her class last time out over 1400m at Kenlworth when finishing just a length behind red Flame and beating Arcetri Pink, although she did receive weight from both of them. She is drawn eleven in the Majorca.

Helderberg Blue – (Liesl King)

The yard’s Jet Master gelding Helderberg Blue was a touch disappointing on Saturday when finishing fourth in the Gr 2 Peninsula Handicap over 1800m after being heavily backed, but Bass and Van Niekerk felt that he could have finished second had the pacemaker not fallen away leaving him at the front at the 500m mark. He is still on track for the J&B Met and Bass feels that he has more to come.

Bass’s other victory on Saturday was courtesy of yet another progeny of Trippi, the three-year-old gelding Equity Kicker, who won a competitive Pinnacle Stakes event over 1200m. He beating his luckless stablemate Castlethorpe, from whom he recieved 7,5kg, by 0,2 lengths.

Equity Kicker will run next in the R1 million Cape Thoroughbred Sales Stakes over 1200m on January 24. All three of this horse’s wins have been over 1000m, but Bass said that he had proven better with hold up tactics and his narrow loss over 1200m happened before those tactics had been employed.

Meanwhile, Bass said that Castlethorpe’s part-owner Robert Bloomberg was considering supplementing this tough Australian-bred seven-year-old gelding for the Gr 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championships over 1000m, also on January 24. He would do so in the hopes that there would be a strong headwind on the day, as there was on Saturday, as this horse is better suited to further.

Bass’s Jet Master gelding Mountain Master ran a cracker in the Gr 3 London News Stakes over 1800m at Turffontein on Saturday, when coming from last to finish a 2,75 length fourth to the Sansui Summer Cup runner up Killua Castle, despite only receiving 1,5kg. However, he said this horse would now come home to Cape Town as he is entered in the Gr 2 J&B Jet Stayers over 2800m on J&B Met day

Kotzen did have one winner on Saturday, the three-year-old first-timer Cathy Specific who is owned by his son Kuyan and bred by his mother-in-law Judy Wintle, and this promising filly has a nice story behind her naming.

Jet Belle was forced to ease down the back straight when the eventual winner Inara dropped in on her.  Then in the main straight she was stopped

Jet Belle (Nkosi Hlophe)

in her tracks for a number of strides before being able to switch inwards as the field moved across towards the outside rail causing herself, Inara and Jet Supreme to be squeezed out.

The Mike Bass-trained three-year-old Inara looked to be a deserved winner, as she didn’t have a clear passage either. However, jockey Grant van Niekerk was given a one week suspension for the official reason that his mount “shifted ground approaching the 1100m mark” when “insufficiently clear”, forcing Jet Belle “to ease off the heels of Inara”.

Van Niekerk rode a fine race after that, landing his first Gr 1 victory, and his snap decision to switch Inara way inward after being squeezed out proved to be a winning move.

Speaking generally, there are those who feel that causing interference in Gr 1s  should be awarded with more severe penalties than they currently are as the penalty doesn’t match either the reward for winning or the cost of losing. Furthermore, there are also very few opportunities for owners to have runners in these races, although in this case Drakenstein Stud owned both Inara and Jet Belle.

There is also the aspect of danger, with an example being when Jet Explorer was brought down in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge. In jurisdictions – like Hong Kong, Japan and others – penalties tend to be a lot harsher. However, a Kenilworth stipendiary steward commented yesterday on Van Niekerk’s one week suspension and said that after a close review of the incident it was felt that the amount of interference caused did not warrant a ten day suspension and they felt that one week was appropriate.

Jet Belle, a five-year-old Jet Master mare, has now finished third in a Gr 1 on three occasions. Her odds of 14/1 in the weight for age event on Saturday were very generous considering she had beaten the 3/1 favourite Jet Aglow when winning the weight for age Gr 2 Gold Bracelet over 2000m at Greyville at the end of last season. She could also be forgiven for her Sansui Summer Cup run, where she hit the front way to early, and she then ran an eyecatching preparation three weeks before the Paddock Stakes over 1500m.

Kotzen said she had come out of Saturday’s race well and was likely to go for the Majorca next as she had drawn well in six out of the 22 entries.

Double Whammy (Liesl King)

Double Whammy, who was just 0,4 lengths behind Inara when finishing third in the Gr 1 Avontuur Estate Fillies Guineas, is also entered in the Majorca. She has drawn wide in 14 but stable jockey Greg Cheyne will face a tough choice. Kotzen regards Double Whammy, a daughter of Judpot, as a sprint miler and has her engaged in the Gr 2 Sceptre Stakes over 1200m at Kenilworth on Saturday. She will have a fine chance there in a field that has attracted only seven runners and Cheyne has chosen her above the yard’s speedy three-year-old Kildonan filly Rosier.

Cathy Specific ran a blinder in her debut on Saturday over 1000m, as she was slow away and looked to have plenty in the tank when crossing the line 1,5 lengths clear, despite starting at odds of 40/1. This big bay filly looks certain to stay further.

Kotzen’s wife Kathi suggested the name after the family had been to watch the dinner cirque show Madame Zingaro. A haughty character in the show names himself Cathy Specific as he dresses in drag and works as an air hostess. Cathy Specific the horse’s sire is Royal Air Force and her dam is I’m Too Sexy, so naming her after the character was a clever choice.

Kuyan’s racing colours were also eyecatching, red with a white circle and the letter “K”, for either Kuyan or Kotzen, in the middle of the circle.

Cathy Specific made a belated debut as she was off for a while with tendonitis and she has only been back in work for seven weeks. The yard always knew she was good because she had matched Double Whammy in workouts about a year ago. Kotzen will now nominate her for one of the minor handicap events on J&B Met day.

Royal Air Force, a Gr 2 winning son of the great Jet Master, stands at Sorrento Stud, where he doesn’t receive much support. However, he is throwing some promising looking types and a lot of them strikes as horses that will improve with age. Kotzen, who trains out of his private establishment in the Paardeberg, Woodhill Racing Estate, also has the full sister and half sister to Cathy Specific waiting in the wings.

Markus Jooste’s colt was backed from 11-2 to 28-10 favourite and he mercilessly cut down Mljet’s bid to make all half a furlong out.

But Ramsden, asked if this victory made it more likely that Act Of War would switch to the J&B Met, replied: “I have no idea.” Seemingly more discussions are to take place with Derek Brugman although Ramsden did say how hard it would be to pass over a Grade 1-winning chance with a horse seemingly so far ahead of the opposition.

But there will be no Derby for Mljet who faces the dreaded vet’s knife this morning. “We have been having a lot of trouble with his blood,” explained Vaughan Marshall, adding that the horse’s next race will be in Johannesburg.

The Conglomerate (Liesl King)

Joey Soma was planning to take Athina back there yesterday after his filly went under by only a fifth of a length to Inara in the Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes.

Soma said: “She got left two lengths but I was delighted with her and I’m now going to look at the Empress Club and, after a race or two in Natal, she will probably go back to Wilgerbosdrift at the end of the season.

“This is only the second runner I’ve had in Cape Town in 20 years and the other was also second – Special Preview in the 1995 Cape Guineas.”

Inara, who drifted from 10-1 to 20-1 despite beating all except Majmu in the Cape Fillies Guineas, gave Grant van Niekerk his first Grade 1 win and was the third at this level bred by Gaynor Rupert’s Drakenstein Stud following Jeppe’s Reef and Afrikaburn.

The tireless and stylish Mrs Rupert has now managed to persuade Glorious Goodwood to embrace her blue-and-white theme while Mike Bass is congratulating himself on producing a big race winner for her on her big day – and one by Trippi too!

He said: “This 1 800m is obviously a better trip for Inara than the Fillies Guineas but she is nominated for the Klawervlei Majorca over a mile on 31 January.”

Stable companion Hammie’s Hooker dropped right out in the closing stages but the course vet could find nothing wrong and fourth-placed Pine Princess is another on the road back to Jo’burg.

Matthew de Kock explained: “The Majorca would be too short for her. She will go for the Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks.”

Justin Snaith said yesterday: “We did a lung wash on Legislate and it was the dirtiest lung wash I have ever seen. He was full up with mucus and he now has to go on to medication. But it is nothing serious and not a problem – indeed it is exactly what Futura had – and he will be fine for the Met. I just have to freshen him up and then get him ready for the race.”

Futura in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (Liesl King)

Legislate, against all expectations, proved to be ill- suited to the funereal pace at which Saturday’s L’Ormarins showpiece was run. The 101.59sec time was nearly four seconds slower than the average of the previous seven runnings. A racehorse gallops at nearly 17 metres a second so those in Saturday’s race would have finished some 60 metres behind the average Queen’s Plate winner!

The 9-20 favourite repeatedly over-raced but it was not until 400m out that Richard Fourie really knew he was in trouble – “Legislate didn’t quicken like he normally does at that point and I realised then that he was not himself.”

So, pretty much at the same time, did Bernard Fayd’Herbe who celebrated as he crossed the line by punching the air with a ferocious left-handed upper cut as if he was knocking out Floyd Mayweather, and in a way he was.

“I was excited – I never thought I would beat Legislate,” explained Fayd’Herbe who was winning his fifth Queen’s Plate. “I thought I might, though, at the 400m mark because I quickened then and the favourite didn’t.  I’m sure Futura will be even better over the extra distance of the Met and I’m looking forward to it.”

So too are John Freeman, Ian Longmore and Jack Mitchell who bought the Guy Murdoch-bred Dynasty colt for what now looks a bargain R500 000 at the 2012 National Yearling Sale.

The last two Queen’s Plates were a nightmare for Brett Crawford and many thought this one was as well when coughing forced Futura to miss his prep run. But apparently they thought wrong.

Crawford explained: “We had pressure with Jackson last year and the year before but this time there was none – Justin had it instead – and it makes a big difference. I know he coughed but the biggest thing about that was there was no infection, just inflammation of the airways.”

Asked how he treated it, Crawford replied simply : “Prayer!” It was Henry Cecil who famously remarked: “I don’t think God really cares who wins the 2.30.” Seemingly the 4.40 at Kenilworth is a different matter.

The strong-finishing Louis The King was only beaten three-quarters of a length (PIere Strydom: “I thought 100m out that I was going to get there”) and Geoff Woodruff said: “Louis’ run was very encouraging for the Met and I was pleased with both him and Tellina (fifth).”

Arion in the Glorious Goodwood Peninsula Handicap (Liesl King)

Gold Onyx, previously 100-1, is sure to tumble in the market as he might well have finished even nearer than third had he got a clear run.

Jet Explorer’s fourth was not as eye-catching as 12 months ago but he still put up a creditable performance while stable companion Arion staked his Met claims after leading a furlong out under Fourie in the Glorious Goodwood Peninsula Handicap. Snaith said: “He is coming right after that lengthy lay-off and he is only getting there now.”

Runner-up Power King has been one of the best backed horses in the past fortnight and Dean Kannemeyer’s biggest concern is that the four-year-old makes the cut. He said: “I gelded him before his previous run because he was haemo-concentrating and now he has really turned the corner. He is getting better and better and I will have him spot on for the Met.”

Punta Arenas ran a creditable trial under top weight but Mike Bass and Grant van Niekerk feel there is more to come from fourth-placed Helderberg Blue. “Grant felt that he might have been second had he been able to give the horse a more patient ride,” said Bass who will be bidding for his sixth Met.