Laird said that all three of his raiders Bold Inspiration, Pej and Normanz were “absolutely spot on” and that Sean Cormack had been very happy with their work. He felt Bold Inspiration, a long striding sort who should love the Turffontein Standside track, should be helped by the expected soft going due to his considerable size. He said Pej, who runs in the Gr 3 Hardware Magnolia Handicap “grows an extra leg” in soft going, “she loves it”, and Normanz, who runs in the Stronach Group Racing Merchants also enjoys it. Laird  doesn’t believe in the second run after a rest theory, which would apply to Normanz. Laird will follow the same travel plan he used for Rich Girl, who won the R3,85 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup at the beginning of the month, by arriving on the day of the race.

Mark Dixon said that his respective Magnolia and Merchants runners, African Dream and Showmetheway, were “cherry ripe.” He is hoping his wife Hayley will be given permission to accompany African Dream to the starting stalls as she did last time and said that if all went well at the start the speedy filly would be a “massive runner”. He said Showmetheway is “not the best handicapped horse” around but had “never been better”. Showmetheway has had a new lease of life since hold up tactics have been employed. Both horses will relish soft ground.

Frank Robinson said that his talented Gr 3 Bradlows/Morkels Fillies Mile candidate Olma “ploughs through” the beach sand at home and will love a testing 1600m, while her wide draw could work in her favour as the going is often better on the outside in wet conditions at Turffontein. Sean Cormack has been “ecstatic” with her work. Robinson felt his Investec Dingaans runner Leven Point, being a Fort Wood who is looking for 2000m, would also love the testing 1600m. He gave Great Rumpus a big shout in the tenth, pointing out that he finished close to Bold Inspiration last time out despite being checked twice in the straight. Jamal “has a big climbing action and loves soft ground” and won his only previous start at Turffontein.

Craig Eudey said that his Merchants runner Flyfirstclass, who has plenty of pace, should enjoy Turffontein’s quick sprint track. “He is very well and loves soft ground.”

Doug Campbell’s Merchants charge Kingston Boy finished third in the race last year and the exhilarating turn of foot he possesses is ideally suited to this track as he can sit behind the strong pace in the early stages. He said Donovan Dillon was “very excited” about his chances and he himself felt Kingston Boy was handicapped to beat a lot of the opposition.

Tony Rivalland said that his Magnolia runner Choir Maiden had not been working as well as he had known her to, but she did finish fourth in her only previous try over the course and distance despite hanging across the track.

Laird and Eudey’s charges arrive on the morning of the race and the rest arrive midday Friday.

 

Van Zyl said, “The top weight has to be a concern over 2000m in expected soft going, but he does now have a lovely draw of eight meaning he will be able to be placed according to the pace.”

No Worries’ (main picture) soft ground statistics are not encouraging, but Van Zyl said, “It is hard to say how he will handle soft ground, because he only experienced it before we fitted blinkers late in his three-year-old year, and this horse has disappointed everytime recently when he’s run without blinkers.”

Van Zyl has three runners in the Gr 2 Investec Dingaans over 1600m and sides marginally with Pioneer Spirit, although stable jockey Keagan de Melo has chosen Sun On Africa.

He said, “Pioneer Spirit (pictured)  is very well and was staying on well in the Ready To Run Cup over 1400m when beaten only 1,4 lengths. On a line through Afrikaburn he has a chance and is crying out for the extra 200m. He has been gelded since that last run and we did win a feature with Bulsara three weeks after gelding. Sun On Africa was found out by the heavy going last time and is now having his peak run. It’s a little bit on the short side but if he repeats his second place finish to Bezanova he is in the hunt. Iwo Jima was running on when three lengths back in the Ready To Run Cup and the extra 200m, and further, will suit him down to the ground.”

The yard have five runners in the Gr 3 Bradlows/Morkels Fillies Mile and Van Zyl fancied Kileigh ahead of De Melo’s choice Brown Sugar, who is coming off a hattrick of 1400m wins.

He said, “Brown Sugar will be competitive if she stays the trip. The mile will be right up Kileigh’s alley and she won’t be as far back as she was in the Starling Stakes. Banbury has got the form to win considering Piere Strydom’s aboard. Cassey O’Malley wasn’t disgraced on her Highveld debut and the winner Ataab then came and won next time out by five, so with expected improvement she shouldn’t be left out of trifectas and quartets.

“Withbatedbreath is a lovely big filly with a huge stride and won her maiden very well. She will hold her own in the company. I think that of the competition Smart Call is very smart, Ataab is improving all the time, Zrinski won her maiden very well despite losing two lengths, Tamanee is not out of it and Bilateral won a Gr 1 beating Alboran Sea, although I think this will be her toughest test. The formlines are still being established but I think some good fillies will come out of this race.”

Van Zyl runs Mohave Princess in the Gr 2 Ipi Tombe Stakes over 1600m. He said, “She is improving all the time and finding herself. She has the ability to win a race like this and has her best draw for some time.” The three-year-old Pine Princess is currently 3/1 favourite for this race while Mohave Princess is 10/1. The latter is 0,5kg better off with Pine Princess for a neck beating over 1800m at the end of October. The weight for age change since then would mean Pine Princess still has the form edge, but there is not much in it.

Van Zyl said about his well-bred first-timer by Ideal World in the last, “The factors against are that it is on the short side, it could be wet, it’s under lights and he could be green, but he is a very, very smart horse and I wouldn’t be surprised if he popped up.”

Pictures: Nkosi Hlophe

However, he now has a new target, which is to ride 5000 winners in South Africa as his career tally includes 72 overseas winners.

He said, “I’ve been riding for 33 years and have ridden July and Met winners, but the coverage, well wishes and reception I received for the 5000th has been unbelievable. It means a lot because when people wish me to do well it is not just for myself. It was a great feeling when it happened at last especially considering the countdown started about 100 winners ago. I have interviews lined up not just with the racing press but with the normal press too, including one with Supersport. I have already been on Tellytrack and Gold Circle have invited me to a special celebration on Friday December 5. Phumelela also want to do something special. A lunch has also been organised for me by all of my closest friends.”

The meeting at Scottsville this Saturday will be in Strydom’s honour. His first ever winner was at Scottsville over 1600m in 1982 aboard the Johnny Nicholson-trained Saadabad.

The scenes of adulation that happened around the winner’s enclosure on Saturday had Strydom in tears and were equally meaningful to his fiancé Claudia, who was there to support him.

However, the best was still to come as his father “Hekkie” had snuck on to the course. “When I was called I thought it must be somebody acting as if he was my father,” said Piere, who was genuinely surprised. The moment he saw his father was obviously a deeply emotional moment.

Strydom regards his father, who trained in Port Elizabeth, as having had the biggest influence on his career. He grew up in an era when there was always a lot of pace and Hekkie, having taught him the importance of balance from a young age, emphasised the need to be patient and get there as late as possible. Consequently, Piere quickly gained a reputation for his dramatic finishes from way off the pace and as a result acquired the nickname “Striker”, given to him by a Port Elizabeth racing journalist who wrote under the name Rob Roy.

Strydom has also ridden in Hong Kong, Australia, the UK, Mauritius, Dubai and Turkey and said recently, “Riding overseas is important as one can otherwise become one dimensional.”

Strydom said that he would not like to make a call, having ridden both, on which protagonist for leading three-year-old male in the country was better, Act Of War or the Paul Lafferty-trained Harry’s Son. However, he said, “In Cape Town I would choose Act Of War as he has the course experience.” The pair might clash for the first time in the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas.

Strydom has always been sort after for big race rides by big yards, but he put this down to his consistent success with small yards.

However, he admitted that the reason he is seldom retained by big yards these days is due to his “lack of riding work”.

He outlined his professional policy, “I keep work riding to a minimum in order to prolong my career. Having ridden so much over the years, there is a lot of wear and tear. In fact I have right now (yesterday (Monday)) just come back from the chiropractor. Jockeys only ever get a break if we’ve broken a bone or had a suspension. We can’t just take off for leisure time as we have overheads to pay. Apart from wear and tear, injury can also can happen during workriding (he once broke his wrist workriding), but the income only comes at the races.”

Strydom will reassess his career after reaching the 5000 winners in South Africa mark, although he said recently, “To still be riding at 50 is crazy, but sometimes there is nothing else to do and you need to earn a living. There are a few options I could go into, but not training!”

Strydom never dreamt he would ever reach these heights upon joining the South African Jockeys Academy and said, “I hoped I would just do well and have always set myself realistic goals. You are not going to run the Comrades before you can walk. With each success I made my goals higher.”

He was first Port Elizabeth Champion apprentice, before becoming National champion apprentice in his final year at the Academy and he has won six National Jockey’s Championships. He has ridden seven winners in a day twice. His popularity reached new heights at the now defunct Gosforth Park in Germiston on 14 July 1990, when he became the first and only jockey to ever ride the Pick 6.

One of his biggest fans, whom he knows only as “Phillip”, was present on that famous day and has idolised Strydom ever since. He flew especially to Cape Town for Saturday’s meeting so he could be present for the 5000th winner.

Strydom regards the 1990s as having been the best era he has ridden in due to great jockeys like Michael Roberts, Jeff Lloyd, Felix Coetzee, Basil Marcus, Anton Marcus and Weichong Marwing still being in the country.

He ranks J J The Jet Plane as probably the best horse he has ever ridden and said, ““He had tremendous gate speed and the acceleration when necessary.”

Strydom’s immediate goal is to win the Sansui Summer Cup on Saturday and he admitted to being very impressed when first riding his mount, the ruling favourite Louis The King, to third place in the Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile. He said, “It was especially impressive after we were caught so far back. He has a big chance but there are two horses who are very well handicapped, As You Like and Bouclette Top, who have huge weight turnarounds in their favour.”

Will there ever be another Piere “Striker Strydom? There could be as he has two young sons, Oliver and Sebastion. He said he wouldn’t really like them to be jockeys, but added, “If they want to be I will give as much input as possible.”

However, his regular rider Piere Strydom felt punters should exercise some caution in their exotic selections.

Lafferty said about the brilliant colt’s preparation, “His weight is good and we’re very happy with him.”

The laid back Australian-bred by Haradasun fell asleep early on the journey last time, which began at midnight, and had only lost 2kg by the time he stepped out of the float at Turffontein on the morning of the race. It is a good long walk from the point of arrival to the saddling enclosure, which gives the horses ample time to stretch.

The Charles Laird-trained Rich Girl had travelled and arrived at the same time and went on to win the R3,85 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Stakes, so the formula appears to work.

Harry’s Son has never officially raced in soft ground before, but Strydom recalled that there was a bit of cut in the ground in the Graham Beck, so is not worried about the rain that is forecast to be falling consistently, but not heavily, throughout the week He has a tougher draw this time of nine, but relaxes well so the great 5000-winner jockey should have no problem placing him and he will certainly relish the 1600m trip.

Strydom rode one of the apparent dangers Front Rank to a facile 5,5 length victory in soft ground over course and distance last time, but said, “Front Rank won very well in the soft but Harry’s Son is better. But the thing about Harry’s Son is that he travelled all the way to Johannesburg for that last  race then went back to Durban and now has to travel back to Johannesburg again. Taking that into account punters should be cautious and include Jayyed.”

Contrary to Strydom’s cautious approach one of the most experienced travellers both as a jockey and trainer between Durban and Johannesburg, Gavin van Zyl, believes that horses can travel up and down twice without a problem but not three times, so according to his theory Harry’s Son should not be affected.

Harry’s Son has the Mike de Kock-trained Jayyed well held on the 1400m form of the Graham Beck Stakes, but on the form of the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville run on the last weekend of last season there is only a neck in it.

Lafferty and Strydom will also team up in the Gr 3 Magnolia Handicap over1160m with the talented four-year-old Australian-bred Choisir filly Goldie Coast, who ran a good 3,75 length fourth last time over 1400m in a hot Conditions Plate race on Graham Beck day, especially considering she set the pace which would have blunted her excellent burst of speed. She should be able to sit in behind over this trip and Lafferty said she was “very well” and “versatile”, so is an interesting runner.

Picture: JC Photos

Joey Ramsden described Turkish jockey Yasin Pilavcilar as “absolutely appalling” and the Sporting Post commented that “when the standards drop to the level of some of the ‘stars’ that rode at Turffontein and Kenilworth then it is time to call it a day.”

Racing Association boss Larry Wainstein, who chairs the organising committee, said yesterday: “One of the sponsors is Phumelela  International which shows our racing in Turkey and they feel it would help if there is a jockey from there.

“In fact Turkish champion Halas Karatas was asked to come again but he turned us down as his wife passed away and the number two couldn’t make it. Pilavcilar was a last-minute replacement. But in future, unless we can get the top guys, we will say to sponsors that we would rather look elsewhere.”

Wainstein – “I am still trying to take the knives out of my back” – added that the likes of Kieren Fallon, Richard Hughes, Olivier Peslier and Michel Barzalona were approached but for one reason or another they were unable or unwilling to come. It was Hughes who suggested inviting James Doyle, Adam Kirby and Martin Harley, saying: “They are top up-and-coming jockeys.”

Wainstein was critical of trainers for not supporting the international races better and pointed out that a number of them didn’t fill.

He added that in an ideal world he would invite top American and Australian jockeys as well as those from Europe “but we don’t have a sponsoring airline for those countries to pay part of the flight costs and we have to work within the constraints of our budgets.”

He pledged that, despite the criticism and the Sporting Post’s suggestion to call it a day, the series will continue.

He said: “The jockeys who come here love it and, when they go back home, they tell people about South African racing. They also say that they have never been treated so well. What an advertisement that is. It makes it worth every rand we spend.

“I have a passion for this international series and, if people are going to criticise me, then so be it. I’ve just got to keep my chin up and go for it.”

Picture: Liesl King