Strydom in spotlight as brilliant career nears end Vaal selections
Six-times SA champion jockey Piere Strydom, who is also a keen golfer, has followed one of the best quotes from golfing maestro Gary Player.
He said: “I am tired of all these golfers who are happy with second place. The only one who will like you if you come in second is your wife and your dog ... and that is only if you have a good wife and a good dog.”
At 54, Strydom is five years older than world-renowned Frankie Dettori and has never been happy with second place, but you cannot ride winners without the right horse and the plum rides in Gauteng in recent seasons have gone to Lyle Hewitson, Muzi Yeni and Gavin Lerena.
In November 2014 Strydom reached a notable milestone when riding his 5,000th winner when Act Of War won at Kenilworth. However, in the 2018/2019 campaign, Strydom rode in only 375 races winning 47 of them.
All of a sudden — rather like Tiger Woods getting back in the spotlight by winning the 2019 Masters after 11 years in the wilderness — Strydom hit the headlines again with a fourtimer at Turffontein on June 27. They included victory on Ronnie’s Candy in the grade 1 Empress Club Stakes.
South East (4) Mars Rover (3) Jonny Ripon (5) National Liberty
(10) Sweet Sensation (5) Country Mile (3) Top Drawer (1) Imperial Twilight
(1) Dark Tide (12) Phinda Mzala (2) Forbe’s Quarry (14) Visiway
(4) Local Knowledge (1) Bartholomeus (2) Grey Power (9) Nussply
(5) Flashlight (1) Incognito (7) Showdown Kid (12) Lass Going West
(10) Expressfromtheus (3) Greek Fire (5) Rock Of Africa (4) Pop Icon
(9) Flaming Duchess (5) Gimme Hope Johanna (3) Rouge Allure (4) Sally Called
(5) Before The Dawn (9) Ocean City (1) Winter Watch (3) Too Phat To Fly
(6) Persica (5) Claremorris (7) Allez Les Bleu (3) Mind Reader
Strydom, who rode his first winner in 1982, told the Sporting Post he intends to hang up his boots at the end of the 2020/2021 season.
In the meantime, he would love to win the Durban July for a fifth time and says he might partner 2019’s third Twist Of Fate, whom he believes could rise to the big occasion.
The Vaal hosts a nine-race programme on Thursday and Strydom can bag an early double by winning the first two races on South East and Sweet Sensation.
With Kennedy restricted to KZN, trainer Paul Peter has had to look around for new riders and Strydom is getting some mounts for the now fifth-placed trainer in the national log.
South East looks a shoo-in in the opener and Strydom will be on another favourite when he partners Sweet Sensation for trainer Corné Spies in the second race. Country Mile and Top Drawer rate the main dangers.
In the first leg of the jackpot, Strydom rides Incognito for Kimberley trainer Dennis Cason and the runner he will be worrying about is Geoff Woodruff’s representative Flashlight.
Ocean City is a name from the past as a horse of this name was a big race winner for legendary trainer Syd Laird. The latest horse with the same name is trained by Weiho Marwing and he has booked Strydom for the ride in the eighth race.
With two places from his last three starts, Ocean City rates an each-way chance against Before The Dawn, Winter Watch and Too Phat To Fly.
Claremorris invariably gives punters a good run for their money and Strydom will be in the saddle on the Roy Magner inmate in the final leg of the Pick 6. Top apprentice Luke Ferraris has a good strike-rate for trainer St John Gray and he can go close on Persica.