Titus to strike at Fairview

The main event on the card is the Fairview 1800 in Race 7 and Bass will have Titus representing the stable. This four-year-old son of Muhtafal has raced 18 times in the Western Cape for three wins and 11 places.

His last start was in a MR 86 over 2000m at Durbanville in which he kept on resolutely to beat Tiger Tops by one length. One run earlier he finished a 1.50-length second behind consistent Surruptitious in a MR 96 Handicap so he has raced at quite a high level.

How he will perform on the Polytrack is anybody’s guess but Bass is quite a shrewdie and he would not have sent the gelding to Port Elizabeth unless he believed Titus would handle surface.

The other area of concern is he is not well handicapped under the race conditions but his merit rating is based on his Cape Town results and there is no collateral form to make an accurate comparison.

Titus is well suited to 1800m, he jumps from No 3 draw and has the services of jockey Aldo Domeyer, who is in top form.

Political Playboy has performed reasonably well since arriving in the Eastern Cape and has only once finished out of the top four, when he ran fifth and only 2.95 lengths behind winner Blaze Of Fire.

This Glen Kotzen-trained runner has a win and a second place in his two races on the Polytrack, and as he is ideally distance suited must be a big runner. He is well weighted under race conditions, will be ridden by Muzi Yeni and jumps from barrier No 2.

Silent Partner is another consistent performer who finally ended his frustrating run of places with a neck victory over Russian Mig last time over 1600m on this track. Wayne Agrella takes the ride.

Others to consider are Gogetthesheriff, who went down 0.25 lengths to Lord Badger last time over this course and distance, Cannon and Indian Hawk.

Bass also saddles Pigeon Flyer in Race 8, the Racing Association Plate over 1400m, and he also has some decent form. But it looks likely he will have to play second fiddle to Justin Snaith-trained Arniston who was backed to win the Grade 3 Champion Juvenile Cup over 1400m on the turf track but finished second behind top-class filly Jet Set Go.