Mike Pockets Cape Champion Trainer

The Annual Western Province Racing and Breeding awards dinner was held at Kenilworth Racecourse last night. The extravagant black tie affair hosted by Rouvaugn Smit and Lita Futeran paid tribute to the equine stars for 2007, concluding another highly successful season for Cape Racing.

The Mike Bass yard was honoured to be associated with 9 awards for the evening including Champion Trainer, a feat largely due to the talented exploits of Mike’s champion gelding Pocket Power and champion filly Sun Classique amassing 5 group ones between them. Owned by passionate racing supporter Marsh Shirtliff and Arthur and Rina Webber, the Jet Master gelding was paid tribute with his 3^rd Horse of the Year title, the most coveted and prestigious award honoured in Horse Racing.

Mike acknowledged all his staff and supporters for helping him achieve probably his best season in his 30 years as a professional trainer and paid a special tribute to loyal patron Marsh Shirtliff for his support and belief in his stable. Mike also told of the courageous heart that makes Pocket Power the champion he has become and that he was probably the best Horse he has ever trained.

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Pocket Power’s achievements in capturing the historic Queens Plate and J&B Met double, aided him to two further awards on the evening for Champion Middle distance Horse of the year and Champion Older male.

Gold Cup victor and international stayer Diamond Quest won Champion Stayer of the year for elated owner Rose Leheup who made the trip from the UK to receive the award.

Owners Lionel Cohen and wife Caroline accepted the honour for Champion filly Sun Classique who received 3 year old Filly of the year while Marsh Shirtliff delivered an exceptional speech to capture his second title of Owner of the Year.

Veteran and cool as ice, Karl Neisius was rewarded his 5^th consecutive championship title for Jockey of the Year while the talented and up and coming Oswald Noach received honours for Apprentice of the Year. Jet Masters whirlwind year secured a run away victory as Stallion of the year.

Western Cape Breeders Awards 2007:

2-Y-O Colt of the Year:        Argonaut – Cheveley

2-Y-O Filly of the Year:        Diana’s Choice - Reggie Knight

3-Y-O Colt of the Year:        Jay Peg - High Season  

3-Y-O Filly of the Year:        Dane Julia - Len Salzman & Farrel Rattner

Older Male of the Year:       Pocket Power - Zandvliet Stud

Older Female of the Year:   Badger’s Gift – T. D. Andrews -Sorrento Stud

Sprinter of the Year:           Mythical Flight – The Alchemy

Stayer of the Year:             Long Dollar- Lammerskraal

Broodmare of the Year:      Loyal Linda – Highlands  

Freshman Sire of the Year: Badger’s Drift - Cheveley

Stallion of the Year:           Jet Master - Mr & Mrs Devine - Klipdrift

Breeder of the Year:          Highlands

Horse of the Year:             Pocket Power 

Western Cape Racing Awards 2007:

AWARDS                                  NOMINEES                   WINNER

JUVENILE MALE OF THE YEAR:     Northern Frontier           Casey's Son

                                                Ivory Trail                    

                                                Casey's Son     

JUVENILE FILLY OF THE YEAR:     Diana's Choice               Diana's Choice

                                                Nania   

                                                Swingtime        

3 YEAR OLD MALE OF THE YEAR: Jay Peg                         Jay Peg

                                                State Crown     

3 YEAR OLD FILLY OF THE YEAR: Sun Classique                Sun Classique

                                                River Jetez       

                                                Our Girl

OLDER MALE OF THE YEAR:         Pocket Power                 Pocket Power

                                                Diamond Quest 

                                                African Appeal  

OLDER FEMALE OF THE YEAR:      Badger's Gift                  Badger's Gift

                                                Countess Corlia

                                                Zooming Zellie  

                                                Secret of Victoria          

                                                Escapology       

CHAMPION SPRINTER OF THE      Floatyourboat             Secret of Victoria

YEAR Up to 1400m:                    Golden Ivory    

                                                Countess Corlia

                                                Secret of Victoria          

CHAMPION MIDDLE DISTANCE    Sun Classique                Pocket Power

OF THE YEAR - 1500m - 2200m:  Jay Peg

                                                Pocket Power    

CHAMPION STAYER OF THE         Omaha Beach                Diamond Quest

YEAR 2400m - 3200m:                Diamond Quest 

                                                Halo Hunter      

                                                Key Castle        

TOP PRACTICAL STUDENT OF THE YEAR:                   Wellington Ngozi

TOP WORKRIDER OF THE YEAR:                                Peter 18 Siyabulela

TOP APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR:                                Oswald Noach

JOCKEY OF THE YEAR:                                              Karl Neisius

TRAINER OF THE YEAR:                                            Mike Bass

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARD        Jehan Malherbe

SERVICE AWARD:                     

LONG SERVICE AWARD:                                          Brian Berrill

HORSE OF THE YEAR:                                              Pocket Power

OWNER OF THE YEAR:                                             Marsh Shirtliff

The 2008 season is already in full swing with the majority of the cape features beginning in November. Floatyourboat has already returned back to the track in preparation for his assault on the Summer features and Pocket Power has begun to step up the pace at home as Mike prepares him for an almost identical race programme to last season, which will see him compete in the Diadem Stakes prior to the Queens plate and ultimately the J&B Met.

The proposed conditions of the met may change for the first time this year to meet in accordance with international standards.

This stands Pocket Power in what would be slightly better off terms than usual as he won’t be giving away too much weight to the rest of the field.

Freshman Sire Tobe Or Notobe covered his first mare a few days ago for Stud manager David Hepburn Brown who reports that he has flourished and blossomed in his new role as Stallion since his retirement and has settled in phenomenally well in his Hemel ‘n Aarde Stud home. He has been very well supported with more than 50 mares on his forthcoming Sire role. Mike’s fond admiration for him as a Race Horse and his near perfect conformation stands him in good stead as a Stallion and he will be richly supported by the Mike Bass yard.

We also bid farewell to two outstanding soldiers under the Bass command in Sun Classique and African Appeal who are currently in Quarantine at Kenilworth. They will join the Mike De Kock yard in Dubai or possibly Newmarket.

They have both been outstanding Horses collecting 7 feature races between them. We wish Mike and his team all the success with them going forward and a special thanks to Lionel Cohen for entrusting the early part of Sun Classiques career with us.

African Appeal

The report on Candice’s pregnancy is that all is going very well and she will be expecting about two weeks earlier than planned which should be around mid October.

This month Cape Town will be hosting the 2007 Interprovincial Showing Championships to be held at Cape Hunt and Polo Club (Durbanville racecourse). The show will be running over 3 days, 26^th-28^th September. One will be able to see the best show horses competing from around the country competing for the team championship and individual South African Champion, so if you are looking for something to do on those days feel free to pop down and enjoy a relaxing day.

Happy Racing