Marinaresco overcame a wide draw and a troubled passage to land the Gr1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup at Greyville yesterday. It was a fitting send off for Bass to sign off on a race named in his honour as he retired after yesterday’s race meeting.

There were a few anxious moments for the supporters of the 11-10 favourite as he became the meat in the sandwich at around the 400m mark. However, there was no stopping the diminutive son of champion stallion Silvano as he powered through the tight gap, going on to win comfortably from Judicial, No Worries and Saratoga Dancer.

The early fractions were more suited to a funeral procession than a horserace and it allowed Grant van Niekerk to track wide on the home turn without much effort. Approaching the final two furlongs it was a cavalry charge and there were a number of hard luck stories, most notably Saratoga Dancer who only found daylight when the race was over.

Van Niekerk was lavish in his praise for Bass who recognised a precocious talent and plucked the young jockey out of obscurity, and also for his mount Marinaresco. “You always get nervous before a big race but when you sit on him he does it all for you.”

S’Manga Khumalo, Champion Jockey elect, rounded off a memorable season with a perfectly timed run aboard the Australian-bred Enaad (5-1) to give Mike de Kock back-to-back wins in the Gr2 eLan Gold Cup. He was chased home by Helderberg Blue and Kinaan with Ovidio filling fourth place.

Tucked in towards the back of the field for most of the race as stable companion Kingston Mines set the gallop, Khumalo gradually moved Enaad into contention up the hill and was within striking distance of the lead as the field came off the false rail at the top of the straight.

Along with stable companion Kinaan the pair hit the front with Enaad staying on the better. Helderberg Blue hit a flat spot in the straight but then picked it up smartly and finished strongly for second.

“This was one of my goals,” said Khumalo, already a winner of the Vodacom Durban July aboard Heavy Metal in 2013, “and I’m glad to have achieved it.”

“This horse had so much running in him. At the 800m mark I thought to myself that my horse was full of running and I didn’t want to break his stride.”

However, it is anxious times for Khumalo who faces charges of injudicious riding in a race in Port Elizabeth last month.

De Kock said, “He was a horse that was progressing nicely and he had to win the Gold Vase to get in the race. When he won the Vase I was a bit concerned because they don’t often do the double.”

“I wasn’t worried about the penalty because he was so low in the weights I didn’t think it would make any difference.”

“There is still more to come. I don’t think he’s reached his handicap mark as yet,” concluded the trainer.

Querari Falcon and Gunner gave the Equus Award judges a double headache when rounding off the season with victories in the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes and the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes respectively. Judging for the awards took place immediately after the running of the Gr1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup.

With two-year-old Gr1’s at a premium, all have produced different results. Dawn Calling was in warm order for the Thekwini Stakes but after battling her way through traffic she was unable to match the finishing burst of Querari Falcon and Anthony Delpech who finished with a wet sail on the favourite’s outside.

It was also a red letter day for Champion freshman sire Gimmethegreenlight who rounded off his first season at stud with a Gr2 winner in Umkhomazi Stakes victor Hack Green and two races later Gunner caused a 25-1 upset in the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes for Paul Gadsby with Brandon Lerena aboard.

Ashburton-based Gadsby said he had bought Gunner at the CTS January sale. “I liked the Gimmethegreenlights and this is the one I wanted. Hassen (Adams) was kind enough to let me leave him on the farm for two months. It took me ages to put him together and Hassen kept a quarter. I have a few more Gimmethegreenlights back home so hopefully I’m in the right camp.”

Andrew Harrison

Gavin van Zyl said his smart three-year-old Judpot gelding Rocketball had “come out of the July bouncing” and he hoped the blinkers would do the trick in the Gr 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Stakes over 1800m at the eLan Gold Cup meeting at Greyville on Sunday. Meanwhile, his son and assistant Gareth is bullish about the chances of No Worries in the same race.

The yard also have a number of other runners with chances on the day. Rocketball, who has a giant of a stride, disappointed in the Vodacom Durban July when turning for home too far out of his ground and then failing to quicken.

Gavin said, “I hope the blinkers help this time. He has a good draw so will hopefully be ridden just off the pace and will hopefully follow through.” Champion jockey Gavin Lerena rides and is a boost to his chances.

No Worries bounced back to form this season over staying trips. However, he then proved the turnaround had little to do with his stamina capacity when winning the KZN Breeders Million Mile off the back of a slow pace, displaying a fine turn of foot.

The 1800m trip should be perfect. The draw of nine is tricky, but didn’t stop him in the KZN Million Mile, where he jumped from draw ten. Warren Kennedy gets on well with the six-year-old Kahal gelding and remains aboard. Gareth said, “He is 100%, we couldn’t have hoped for a better preparation. I am confident he will do his best.”

Gavin has an interesting runner in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600m, the eye-catching Gimmethegreenlight gelding Without A Doubt. He is still a maiden but has impressed with his strong finishes against some good horses over shorter.

Gavin said, “He has good form and I don’t think he ran to his best on the poly last time (2,8 length third to Qeyaadah), I think he is better on the turf. He is bred to go the ground and further and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ran into the money.”

In the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m, Gavin runs Mogok filly Costa Da Sol. He said, “She has good form but is yet to come up against this sort of opposition and she has a wide draw too. But the two-year-old form is still establishing itself at this time of the year so we are taking our chances and hope she runs into the money.”

Gareth runs Poster Girl in the Thekwini and said, “Anton Marcus suggested we run her in this race and her work has been very good. The race will tell whether she stays the mile or not. All things considered, she could be the dark horse.”

Gavin’s sprinter Isca won well on Vodacom Durban July day and now runs over the same polytrack 1000m course and distance in the Listed Umgeni Handicap. However, he now has an eleven draw to overcome, as opposed to two, and was also given a maximum eight point raise for that last win. Gavin said, “I am just as happy with him as I was before that last run and he will run a good race.”

Gavin runs King Of Kings gelding Prince Ariano in the second race, a Juvenile Plate over 1900m on the turf. He said, “We have put the blinkers on and he is looking for the extra ground. He has got a chance and I expect him to run into the money.”

Gareth runs the talented Mygirldownunder in the Gr 2 Debutante over 1200m, but he was cautious about her chances.

He said, “She is very fast and only time will tell whether she sees out 1200m, so it not ideal trying that trip for the first time after a little rest and from a wide draw. She will likely come on from the run but is above average and it is a Gr 2 so we decided to take our chances. She certainly won’t disgrace herself.”

Gareth runs Night Shadow in the last race of the season, a MR 78 Handicap over 1900m on the poly, where he has an inexperienced 4kg claimer up in order to alleviate his 63,5kg weight. Gareth is not sure what to expect from this horse, whom he believes to probably be “bi-polar”. He said, “He is temperamental and has gone off the boil, but it seems it’s mental because one day he wants to work, the next day he doesn’t. If the right Night Shadow arrives he will probably win, so we hope he bounces back to form. He is fit and sound.”

Gavin completed his grass work with his charges last week and has been using the Summerveld polytrack this week.

Gareth has been using the Summerveld poly and the grass bend this week. None of the yard’s runners have missed any work.

David Thiselton

Frank Robinson managed to get a grass gallop in to his Gr 2 Gold Bracelet contender Olma on Tuesday around the Summerveld bend and she worked very well.

He said she had excercised twice a day on some days this week as the poly had been the only track open everyday and he added, “She is looking great.”

Ian Sturgeon knows her very well and replaces Piere Strydom. Last time out she ran a fine second in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m from a wide draw. Strydom jumped off afterwards and said she had only really got going late, so she should have no trouble seeing out the 2000m on Sunday.

Robinson said the key to the Dynasty filly had been the application of the tongue tie. Before that she had tended to pull, but since its use her form has been outstanding. She will be hard to beat having at last landed a good draw.

Robinson revealed his six-year-old mare Sounds Positive had been working very well upsides Olma and he made her a “massive runner” in the first race on Sunday over 1400m on the Greyville poly.

David Thiselton

Mike de Kock has a strong hand in the Gr1 eLan Gold Cup on Sunday and his son and assistant Matthew spoke to Andrew Bon on Tellytrack about their chances.

Matthew said Enaad had matured and strengthened this year and he had duly converted yard confidence in the Gr 3 Gold Vase over 3000m last time out on Vodacom Durban July day. On that effort he should stay the extra 200m as he flew from a seemingly beaten position to get up.

Matthew is confident of another good run, although he added Enaad would need luck from the draw and recognised Arch Rival had him held at the weights.

On the other hand, Arch Rival is likely not as suited to Greyville as Turffontein, being a big galloping type, so it would be no great surprise to see Enaad reverse the form of his meeting with the former over 2450m on the Turffontein Standside track.

Matthew hinted this could be The Centenary’s last run before heading for the paddocks. He said she had a “stout pedigree” and coupling that with her excellent turn of foot he was hoping the Greyville 3200m would be “right up her alley.”

He said Kingston Mines was a quirky sort who needed to be left alone to do his own thing. Last time out when allowed to stride freely out in front he ran a fine race in the Gold Vase and is now 1kg better off with Enaad for a 0,75 length beating, so could be dangerous with similar tactics.

Matthew said Smart Mart had shown glimpses at home and in the races of being up to this standard, and that included his “exceptional run” in the Gold Vase in which he chased Kingston Mines the whole way only to be pipped by Enaad on the line. Matthew said Smart Mart was similar to Kingston Mines in that he probably needed things to go his way. He is officially 2,5kg under sufferance but is 0,5kg better off with Enaad for a 0,25 length beating in the Gold Vase.

Matthew said three-year-old Kinaan was maturing and felt his Gold Vase fourth place finish was “a very promising” run considering how far back he had come from. However, he is 4,5kg under sufferance and looks well held on Gold Vase form. Matthew also felt he would be a better stayer next year.

Meanwhile, Mike de Kock said on his website he was “delighted” with the condition of all five of his quintet and added Enaad and The Centenary were probably the best of them.

David Thiselton

Mike Bass’ Summerveld assistant trainer Robert Fayd’Herbe said it would be the “highlight” of his training career if he could win a race for the “”Old Man” in the eLan Gold Cup meeting on Sunday and he has a number of good chances of doing so.

The meeting will officially be the last of Bass’ glittering career and it would be particularly fitting if the yard could land the race named in the great trainer’s  honour, the Gr 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup, with the crack three-year-old Marinaresco.

Robert said, “Mr. Bass has been very good to me and to my family (Bernard Fayd’Herbe was stable jockey for many seasons).

He revealed the Summerveld grass on the bend had been opened yesterday for his big race charges and said, “The grass was actually fantastic and the horses (Marinaresco, Helderberg Blue and Nightingale) all worked very well.”

Marinaresco is odds-on favourite for the Champions Cup over 1800m, having put up an outstanding performance in the Vodacom Durban

July, in which he came from a mile back to finish a 0,25 length runner up. Fayd’Herbe said, “He came out of the July well, in fact I think he’s actually come on a bit. He’s looking well and his work has been good, he‘s enjoying life. He is also effective over a mile to 1800m and doesn’t take a lot of work.”

Marinaresco has another wide draw to overcome, thirteen this time, and stable jockey Grant van Niekerk remains aboard. Fayd’Herbe said Marinaresco did not have to be dropped out like he was in the July and hoped he would be closer in the running this time.

Fayd’Herbe was also bullish about the chances of Helderberg Blue in the Gr 2 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m.

The five-year-old gelding was a touch unlucky in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m at Greyville in his penultimate start when giving Balance Sheet 2,5kg and being beaten only 0,25 lengths. In his next start he did not quicken as well as the others when finishing a 1,85 length fourth in the Gr 3 Delta Air Lines 2200 on July day, so appears to be looking for further. Fayd’Herbe said, “He will stay all day.”

This horse was notoriously difficult in his younger days and invariably boiled over at the racecourse. However, Fayd’Herbe said, “He has quietened down a bit with age and with his pony leading him down is more settled. Grant (Van Niekerk) enjoys riding him now.” Helderberg Blue has a plum draw of four.

The yard also have a reserve runner in Three Balloons. Fayd’Herbe said, “He is a galloper and has been aimed at this race for the whole season. If he gets in he will be a big runner with that weight.”

Fayd’Herbe said Nightingale had been caught too far out of her ground in a slow run race in the Gr 3 Track And Ball Oaks over 2400m at Scottsville, where she started even money favourite. Before that she had put up two excellent efforts to finish a respective second and third to Bela-Bela in the Gr 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas and Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 respectively.

She drops back to the 2000m trip on Sunday in the Gr 2 Gold Bracelet, a weight for age event in which she is the joint second highest merit rated horse on 102, four points lower than Olma. She has a tough draw of eleven with Van Niekerk up. Fayd’Herbe said, “She is doing well, she hasn’t got the greatest of draws, but hopefully we can slot her in.”

Fayd’Herbe regards Ernie as the yard banker for the day, because in his opinion the others are in tougher races. The three-year-old gelding comes off a one length second in the tabGold Sprint over 1200m on the poly on July day and now jumps from pole position with Van Niekerk up in the Listed Umgeni Handicap over 1000m on the poly.

Fayd’Herbe said, “He’s fit and well and dropping down to 1000m from a good draw we are hoping for a big run.”

The six-year-old gelding Night Trip will bring down the curtain on Bass’s training career when attempting to win the Listed Darley Arabian over 1600m on the poly for the third year in succession. He is coming off an excellent second in the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint and has to carry 62kg from a tough draw of ten with Anton Marcus up.

Fayd’Herbe said, “He surprised us in the Mercury and has come well. He is a big strong fella so can carry the weight and hopefully will pull it off.”

David Thiselton