The fabulous filly, Inara won yet another Grade 1 when scoring in the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m at Greyville on Saturday. She has now won at the highest level in all major centres which is a notably rare achievement.
After recording two wins in Grade 1 contests at the Cape as a three year- old, Inara came off second best behind subsequent easy Met winner, Smart Call in the 2016 Paddock Stakes. She then achieved a Majorca double by defeating Same Jurisdiction in late January. Next up for the durable filly was a Highveld raid from a Durban base to clinch the Grade 1 Laurie Jaffee Empress Club Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein, where her official merit rating was raised to 111.
All that was missing from her resume was success in Kwa Zulu Natal – Inara had battled to come right on previous stays in Durban. But she rectified that gap in her otherwise glittering CV with a tremendous performance, racing in the vanguard before making a decisive move up the centre of the straight to pass the frontrunners. Grant van Niekerk timed the race-winning move perfectly as off pace- closer Olma arrived too late, falling short of 3/1 shot Inara by half a length at the wire.
Mike Bass praised the daughter of Trippi’s robustness. “She is a great filly – just a pleasure to train with plenty of constitution.” Trucking all around the country, she has raced 20 times for eight wins and eight places, only ever missing the frame at her post maiden try, when out of sorts in KZN last year and then battling in the Champions Challenge over 2000m at high altitude, which came too soon after her Empress Club heroics. Apart from those rare miscues, Inara has been utterly dependable.
She has natural early speed to secure a good position, and can really turn it on when acceleration is needed in the straight. Gareth Wright rode her on debut back in May 2014, finishing third at long odds in a sprint on soft ground at Kenilworth. Since then she has been partnered by Grant van Niekerk in all starts and they have struck up a devoted affinity. When Grant’s career was taking off a few years back, he really coveted an elusive Grade 1 victory above all, and his heroine, Inara has now provided him with five such triumphs in two years! Credit is due to the entire Bass Racing team for maximising Inara’s career on behalf of owner/breeders Drakenstein Stud and Mrs Gaynor Rupert.
The stable had earlier come agonisingly close in the historic Durban July, when Marinaresco hurtled through on the stand-side, only just failing to nab long-shot, The Conglomerate. There was honour in defeat for the young son of Silvano, who was having only his tenth career start and going right-handed for the first time in a rough July field stampede. Marinaresco has exceptional acceleration which propelled him to victories in the Winter Guineas and Classic, prompting a bold dip at the July. If the racing gods smile on him then Marinaresco should, in time, enjoy a turn of fortune and win prestigious races. Clinching the big ones does not come easy of course, which puts in context just how very special Inara is, having garnered five Grade 1’s in an exceptional career, before even turning five years of age!