3 minute read

Taciturn, dignified, but with a hint of a smile and a superb horseman. Meet Michael William Bass, otherwise known as Mike Bass, nine times Champion Trainer in the Western Cape and trainer of the incredible Pocket Power and his sister River Jetez.

Bass, born in 1945, took his love for animals to study Agriculture at Stellenbosch University where thoughts of being a game ranger crossed his mind.

However, after a short stint travelling abroad Bass returned to open his first business, the Western Province Riding School in Muizenberg, and it was here that his love and passion for horses developed.

At the riding school he had a string of 35 horses, 15 of which took part in amateur racing at the Cape Hunt and Polo club on the flat and over hurdles. After six years he decided that a change was as good as a holiday. He sold the riding school and joined Broadlands Stud Farm as the stud manager under the honourable Pat O'Neil.

But after his experience training horses for amateur racing it was only a matter of time before the lure of being a professional trainer would drag him away and in 1976 he took out his license.

Bass began with a small string of horses in Sungari Lodge, Milnerton, and within months he trained his first winner, Court Pardon. Four years later Cracker Lilly delivered Bass his first Grade 1 victory in the Clairwood Winter Handicap.

His career over the next 30 years has made him unquestionably one of South Africa's top trainers, with more than 100 grade victories and numerous achievement awards.

Bass has won the pinnacle of South African racing, the Grade One Vodacom Durban July, three times, with the most memorable being the dead-heat between Pocket Power and Dancer's Daughter.

In Cape Town he has the extraordinary record in the Grade One J & B Met where he ran a one two with Bunter Barlow and Trademark in 2001. To cap that, he then won the Met for three consecutive years from 2007 to 2009 with Pocket Power. In 2010 Pocket's full sister River Jetez stepped out of her brother's shadow to clinch a fourth consecutive Met for Bass.

Pocket Power also added a historic four consecutive Grade One L'Ormarins Queens Plate victories to Bass' long list of achievements.

In the Bass yard, the entire family is involved. Son Mark runs the stable's website and daughter Candice works as assistant to her father.

Candice began show jumping as a youngster and has since progressed into one of South Africa's leading racing personalities on and off camera. Besides her media involvement, Candice has also attained her assistant trainer's certificate and is undoubtedly one of the future stars of South African racing.