Piere Strydom needs just one more win of South Africa’s premier race, the Hollywoodbets Durban July, to join Anton Marcus on a record five wins in the big race but it looks unlikely to ever happen.
Strydom’s options for a ride this year are limited to the horses near the top of the weights and those horses all look booked already with Raymond Danielson aboard See It Again, JP van der Merwe aboard Oriental Charm, Sean Veale aboard Gladatorian and Muzi Yeni aboard Royal Victory and even if he would be able to slim down to 57,5kg Kabelo Matsunyane always rides Purple Pitcher, or 57kg Richard Fourie will be on Eight On Eighteen and Calvin Habib is aboard Atticus Finch.
Strydom has said the costs of the insurance he is obliged to pay to keep his license makes riding not worthwhile financially and he is thus very close to retirement.
However, he has had a meeting with his insurance company and negotiated for a lesser rate.
He will hear the outcome soon and if it is a negative response he will be looking at a retirement date.
He said he might just call it a day after riding a winner one day, but history shows that fans are not impressed when sporting heroes exit without warning and some sort of farewell to the legend would be more apt.
Meanwhile, he will be riding the James Crawford-trained Fatal Flaw in the Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes on Hollywoodbets Durban July day. The New Predator filly will be going for a third Gr 1 mile win, having won the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas under Strydom and the TAB Empress Club Stakes under Gavin Lerena (Piere could not make the weight of 57kg in the latter race). He said he would likely get some other rides on the day too.
Piere has just returned from a holiday to New York where he attended the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga racecourse.
He thoroughly enjoyed it and the first thing he mentioned was the number of other activities available on course besides the racing, which made it a fascinating and enjoyable day
He was based near the 400m mark and was thus able to get right up close to the horses.
He said as physical specimens the Belmont runners looked good, but he was not “blown away”.
Asked then whether they were no better than South Africa’s thoroughbred racehorses, he replied, “Looks not really. Ability? Many lengths!”
