High Flyer! Top Jet (inside) gets the better of Cape Cutter to win the Racing Association Stakes (Coastal Photos)
Cape trainers grabbed the limelight and all the cheques in Friday’s R130 000 Listed Racing Association Stakes run at Fairview. In a field decimated by scratchings, Mike Bass’smart looking grey Top Jet scored an impressive win under a first rate ride by Grant Van Niekerk.
The Bass operation has kicked into overdrive after a slow start to the season in PE and their new stable jockey, Grant Van Niekerk, has grown noticeably in confidence.
The Mike Bass Racing team have actually upped their game in the last few weeks, and their local assistant Gavin Blake led in his fourth winner of the month, when Top Jet scored an impressive win in the day’s feature.
The withdrawal of the local star Seattle Storm took some lustre off the race, but the Capetonians provided a worthy climax to the opening day of the East Cape Festival Of Racing.
Van Niekerk rode a top class race after being stuck for position from his midfield jump and eventually gave Top Jet a chance to settle, before producing him with a sustained effort down the inside rail.
Top Jet fought on like a good horse to get the better of Cape Cutter and won by a short head in a time of 97,50 secs.
The Justin Snaith trained Cape Cutter was not disgraced in defeat and gave the winner 2kgs, which ultimately made the difference.
Vaughan Marshall’s Chestnut’s Rocket and Glen Kotzen’s Winter Juvenile Stakes winner Counts Rocket finished in third and fourth respectively, within a length of the winner.
Top Jet has now won twice and been placed at his three starts. This was his first run around the turn.
He took his stake earnings to R124 100.
Top Jet is a R1 million Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 graduate.
He was bred by Varsfontein Stud and is by Jet Master out of the Elliodor mare, Whatsinakiss. He is thus a half brother to the six time winner Kiss Again (by Al Mufti), who raced in the famous Lilford blue and pink silks for Mike Bass
The winner looks very immature still and obviously has plenty of improvement to come. He may prove himself to have some classic potential.
