Memorable day for ‘birthday boy’

At Kenilworth on Saturday trainer Mike Bass, who turned 70 on Monday, saddled two winners – Inara and Line Break – and saw his 33-1 outsider for the J&B Met, Helderberg Blue, run the race of his life to finish third.

Mike is best known as the trainer of champion Pocket Power, who won the Met three times and was one of the favourite performers for the racing public over the last decade.

But Mike and his team are a bit like Arsenal in the English Premier League – always up there competing in the trainers’ log without being able to get their hands on the trophy. Last season he finished fifth in the table with 110 winners – a total bettered by only Justin Snaith, Sean Tarry and Mike de Kock.

When it comes to the big days, punters are well advised to give the Bass runners the closest scrutiny. On Saturday, however, he probably travelled to the course with no great hopes of Inara beating Cold As Ice in the Klawervlei Majorca Stakes or of Helderberg Blue troubling Futura and Louis The King in the Met.

It turned out a memorable day and – as he accepted the trainer’s trophy for the Majorca Stakes – he commented that it was “some feat to notch back-to-back Grade 1 wins”.

Certainly, Inara had raised her game in the Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes and the daughter of Trippi showed that was no flash in the pan on Saturday when getting the photo-finish verdict over favourite Cold As Ice.

Jet Belle again proved her ability at the highest level by taking third  following a slow start and S’manga Khumalo’s mount, Red Flame, made late progress to finish fourth.

Mike’s J&B Met runner, Helderberg Blue, can be  compared to Geoff Woodruff’s enigmatic performer Killua Castle. Until he was gelded, Helderberg Blue was simply an unruly mess, yet the Bass team have done their job and he was on his best behaviour on Saturday.

This was in strict contrast to Killua Castle (although I made no secret of the fact that Tellina was my pick of the Woodruff trio), who beat home only Dynamic and Astro News.

In fact, Helderberg Blue was only just snared on the line for second place with seven-year-old Gold Onyx delighting Sean Tarry and owner Chris van Niekerk by securing the R500,000 runner-up cheque.

“This is the second-biggest second place thrill of my racing life – the first was when National Colour finished second in the Nunthorpe Stakes at Newmarket,” enthused Van Niekerk.

Interestingly, Sean had been quoted in Racing Express on Friday as saying “people don’t want to believe Gold Onyx ran well in the Queen’s Plate. For me it was a great run. As far as I’m concerned, I can’t see the winner of the Met coming from other than the first five past the post in the Queen’s Plate.” Prophetic words!

Geoff Woodruff, whom so many of us hold in such high regard, will be crestfallen that his trio of Met runners, apparently in rude health leading up to the race, could finish only fourth, sixth and 12th.

Although Tellina was well enough placed throughout, he simply had no answer to the finishing kick of Futura and one simply have to take your hat off to Brett Crawford for a fine training feat.

He said afterwards that he wasn’t nervous before the race. He’s got to be kidding after seeing Jackson fail to justify favouritism two years in a row!

For Louis The King’s legion of supporters, it was a tough pill to swallow to see the Triple Crown winner finish out of the first four.

One Kenilworth punter got it right before the big race when he turned to me after the defeats of Act Of War and Cold As Ice and said: “Got a feeling it’s just not going to be Striker’s day – if I was a bookie I’d lay ‘Louis’.”

Call it provincial thinking if you like, but one had to feel unbeaten Ertijaal, had a definite shout of upsetting Act Of War in the Investec Derby. One horse proven over the 2000m trip, the other not.

One didn’t have to be a brain surgeon to work out the De Kock camp would instruct Gavin Lerena to make the race a test of stamina – he rode the Aussie import perfectly and the Hard Spun colt surely has the SA Derby at his mercy.

The stable – and Gavin – went on to capture the J&B Stayers with Kingston Mines and Capetonians have been reminded in recent weeks just why Mike de Kock has been top of the racing tree for so many years.

Having had a nice touch on Ma Choix (French for My Choice) in Race 11 as she is a daughter of former top sprinter Choisir, I played up some of those winnings on Mountain Master, who had run pretty well on his last Gauteng outing.

I told Mike’s daughter Candice that MM would strip a fit horse and would give them their third winner of the day. The Jet Master gelding has now been added to my NA (never again) list!

* * *

The J&B Met remains the closest thing we have to the Melbourne Cup and my bet is that many first-timer racegoers will want to return in 12 months’ time. Of course, if they get the racing bug for an earlier return to the racetrack so much the better.

My 19-year-old J&B jacket again stood up to the rigours of Met Day and, as usual, there were a number wanting to purchase it. One guy offered $2,000, which was tempting!

Finally, when this lands on your breakfast table, one of the best surgeons will have had a go at my knee with his assortment of knives! I thank the many people who have wished me luck.