Strydom is riding in PE double header

JOCKEY Piere Strydom will be one of the raiders coming to town this weekend to plunder the prize money on offer for the double header, the first on Friday on the Polytrack and the second the following day on the turf.

On Friday the final leg of the WSB East Cape Poly Challenge over 1 600m will take place and while no horse can earn the R250 000 bonus for winning all three legs, Sir Duke could be in line for the R50 000 bonus for winning at least one leg and accumulating the most point in all three races.

Saturday sees the running of the Grade 3 World Sports Betting East Cape Derby, one of the most important races on the Fairview calendar. This R350 000 race has attracted runners from the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal with all of Candice Bass-Robinson, Justin Snaith, Brett Crawford and Duncan Howells sending runners.

Interestingly Strydom, who grew up in Port Elizabeth, will be part of the home team in the Derby as he is riding Off The Bit, one of three horses trained by Alan Greeff. Greeff also saddles Gimme Now, with Callan Murray in the irons, and Another Night, with Teaque Gould up.

Off The Bit has decent enough form but he has yet to prove he will see out the distance.

He did run third in the Derby Plate over 2 000m, 2,75 lengths behind Snaithtrained Strathdon but will be 4kg better off this time.

Bass-Robinson will be sending Dorset Noble, who has only raced three times, winning at the second time of asking over 2 400m. Aldo Domeyer takes the ride.

Howells will be sending Sabre Charge who has won twice over this distance at Scottsville and is one of the higher rated horses in the field. Keagan de Melo has ridden him to victory in KZN and takes the ride on this occasion as well.

Also run on the day is the Listed Epol Dahlia Plate for two-year-olds and in this event Strydom is carded to ride Desert Chief for the Sharon Kotzen yard.

Final field for the R350 000 World Sports Betting East Cape Derby (Grade 3) 3rd Leg EC Sophomore Challenge) over 2 400m at Fairview on Sunday.

1 - 6 STORY OF MY LIFE (G D Smith) C Maujean 60.0 - 83

2 - 5 SABRE CHARGE (D C Howells) K de Melo 60.0 - 82

3 - 3 DORSET NOBLE (C L Bass-Robinson) A Domeyer 60.0 - 80

4 - 8 STRATHDON (S J Snaith) C Orffer 60.0 - 80

5 - 4 OFF THE BIT (A C Greeff) P Strydom 60.0 - 77

6 - 7 ARABIAN DYNASTY (B Crawford) G Cheyne 60.0 - 75

7 - 9 EN GEE OH (G D Smith) J P v'd Merwe 60.0 72

8 - 2 GIVE IT AWAY (G Paddock) L Mxothwa 60.0 - 66

9 - 1 ANOTHER NIGHT (A C Greeff) T Gould 57.5 - 77

10 - 10 GIMME NOW (A C Greeff) C Murray 57.5 - 63

Same Trainer: (1,7) (5,9,10)