Savannah Storm just prevails in a stirring duel for the line (JC Photos)
Piere Strydom once again stole the show with a vintage ride on the Phillip and Jeannique Vermeulen-trained Savannah Storm, an eight-year-old gelding by Sudden Storm, at Turffontein Inside on Tuesday. Strydom toook an age to take Sudden Storm down for the 1450m event, keeping him calm and relaxed and never out of much more than a walk. In the race he had him bottled up in midfield from draw two and was then patient in the straight, producing him with the fine turn foot this 101-rated horse is capable of at the 400m mark. He hit the front but it seemed all over when The Africa House came ranging up to challenge him. The evergreen jockey could surely not have reserved just enough extra, like he uncannily has the ability to do, in an eight-year-old outsider who was not only going to have to fend off a horse half his age but he was also giving the latter 4kg? But indeed he had reserved enough as Savannah Storm fought off The Africa House in a stirring duel for the line. It was yet another vintage ride from the meastro. It was in fact only the second cheque Savannah Storm had earned since winning about a year ago, but a look at the class of horse he had generally been facing and a decrease in merit rating gave him some hope for today. Nevertheless, he was an outsider at 25/2 odds. Piere has now had 32 wins this season at a strike rate of 30.19%.
Craig Zackey rode a double at the meeting and it took him into lone third place in the national jockeys championship.
Paul Matchett and Tony Peter both sent out doubles.
Zackey is now on 59 wins for the season and has achieved it at a strike rate of 14.90%.
He is now only nine wins behind the lead of the sidelined Muzi Yeni, whilst Gavin Lerena’s single win today took him within one win of the lead.
Matchett is on 22 wins at 12.87%.
Peter is on 28 wins at 16.37%.
