Inara Adds Fourth Group I Win in South Africa

Mike Bass-trained Inara picked up the fourth group I win of her career when landing the Jaffee Empress Club Stakes April 16 at Turffontein near Johannesburg, South Africa.

A 4-year-old daughter of Trippi, a leading sire in South Africa, Drakenstein Stud's homebred started as the 11-10 favorite as the sole top-level winner in the nine-horse field.

The start of the race was marred somewhat when the well-fancied Trophy Wife made a hash of the start and was slow out, losing around four to five lengths.

Vino Veritas set out to make the running, with Inara well positioned in third at the rail, just a length or two off the front-runner. Guided by regular rider Grant Van Niekerk, she advanced to just off Vino Veritas as the field turned for home and was travelling sweetly.

Outsider Winter Star went for broke up the outside rail, with group III winner Olma in attendance. However, the leaders were quickly swallowed up by Inara, who ran on strongly down the center of the course. Sensible Lover chased Inara home, and finished a creditable second at odds of 14-1.

South Africa's reigning champion trainer Sean Tarry saddled the third, fourth, and fifth home, with his promising 3-year-old Intergalactic narrowly shading Tiger's Touch for third.

Trophy Wife, a stable companion to the third-and fourth-place finishers, and runner-up in this race last year, ran on when the race was all but over for a fast-finishing fifth.

Van Niekerk was over the moon after his win on Inara, his favorite horse.

"She's an amazing filly—every time she runs, she surprises me," Van Niekerk said. "We went very slow and they turned it into a sprint."

Bass, who retires at the end of the season, also paid tribute to his star after her big race win: "She is a pleasure to train. A great filly, with a great constitution."

Saturday's win was the seventh of Inara's career, and she has now banked R3,278,125 in stakes.

She is one of 63 stakes winners for the End Sweep's son Trippi and is out of the winning Shirley Heights mare Mountains of Mist.

From the same family as 2013 Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) winner Dawn Approach, Mountains of Mist is also the dam of Dance Smartly Handicap (Can-III) winner Madeira Mist, whose son Joshua Tree won the Pattison International (Can-I) on three occasions.