Bass opens a satellite yard in KZN

After thorough deliberation and consultation with the Race Coast team, trainer Candice Bass has confirmed the expansion of her family operation with a permanent satellite base at the Summerveld Training Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.

Bass Racing has secured 27 boxes at Summerveld, which will be overseen by long-time assistant trainer Terry Fripp, now a permanent member of the team.

The plan is to send suitable candidates from Candice’s Milnerton yard to KwaZulu-Natal to optimise year-round earning opportunities. In time, two-year-olds will also be considered for KZN campaigns, further boosting the stable’s strike power for its patrons.

Fripp has enjoyed great success in two seasonal KZN Champions Season stints with the yard and has some seriously impressive stats to show from the 2025 term. With just a small number of runners, the operation produced a 20% winning strike rate and a 70% place record from 29 starts, for stakes of R1.8 million.

Bass comes off a runner-up position on the Western Cape Trainers log last season and finished fourth on the national trainers’ log with gross stake earnings of R12,447,513, her eighth successive top six finish since she took over the yard from her father, Mike.

“With Race Coast having expanded their own interests from the Western Cape into KwaZulu Natal, our following suit was a natural progression. Having a yard at Summerveld creates a gateway for us to freely move horses between centres and seasons, as well as opportunities to compete with a larger contingent of raiders,” explained Bass.

“The weather has caused havoc in Cape Town over the last few months – not dissimilar to what happened last year - so this has really been an easy decision for me.

“This new chapter marks an exciting step forward for Bass Racing. We look forward to establishing firm roots in KwaZulu-Natal. We warmly welcome all who wish to support the yard and share in our exciting journey ahead.”