Striker Reaches His Final Milestone
Piere Strydom will now be free in his mind to retire having today achieved his final goal of riding 5,500 career winners.
However, he still has one or two engagements to fulfil before hanging up his riding boots.
He rides the Sean Tarry-trained Nebraas (Vercingetorix) in the Betway Summer Cup on Saturday, alongside one other ride.
He has also been booked to ride the Gareth van Zyl-trained Money Heist in the Grade 1 R2 million Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas and the Fanie Bronkhorst-trained Typeset in the R7.5 million Gold Rush.
His final meeting therefore might well be on WSB Met day and a farewell to the great jockey might add another festive dimension to that day.
The winner’s enclosure was buzzing with emotion after Piere’s win today.
Piere’s 5,500th winner was on the former Cape Town horse Admiralty Arch, who has become ultra consistent since dropping to a merit rating of 67 in his second career with the Barend Botes and Yolandie Vosloo yard.
He was the perfect horse for the milestone win, being the type of closer Piere has always excelled aboard.
The horse jumped well and Striker eased him back before placing him behind Irrevocable Dream on the outside train, which put him in about third last position in the nine horse field, but in a perfect position to strike.
He switched him out about halfway through the 1200m contest and crept up before pulling the trigger at the 400m mark.
Admiralty Arch lengthened and made up the leeway quickly to strike the front and it was clear by the 200m mark it was race over.
Rattle Bag made some late leeway from last but Admiralty Arch ran out a cosy one length winner.
Barend Botes revealed in the winner’s enclosure his first ever winner as a trainer on 27 July, 1995, was ridden by Piere.
He spoke of the honour he had felt at the time of having a top jockey aboard a horse he had received as a chuck out, and said he felt equally honoured today to have paid him back by providing him with the milestone victory.
Piere battled to hold back the tears of emotion when it was his turn to speak.
He said it had been quite tough to get good rides coming back from injury as a 56 year-old.
He was grateful to Barend, whom he called a thorough gentleman, and whom he said had always been looking to provide good rides for him during his quest to reach the milestone.
Barend had also specifically wanted to be the man to give him his 5,500th victory.
Piere was presented with a congratulatory placard and a bottle of champagne, which he took a sip of before Barend sprayed it over him and then poured the rest over his head.
The only pity was Piere’s wife Chrisna was absent. She had been following him around the country in the hopes of sharing the milestone moment with him but was unable to be there today.
Lucky Nurtures Another Top Sprinter Back
It was fitting that on the day of Piere Strydom’s milestone 5,500th winner Lucky Houdalakis was able to record another fine training feat.
The William Longsword colt Dyce was one of the best performed two-year-olds of his crop, culminating in a demolition job in the Grade 2 Epol Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville turf, which he won by 4,30 lengths.
However, an injury then kept him off the racetrack for 15 months.
He obviously needed his comeback run over 1000m on November 3 and it was too sharp for him.
Those who knew him as a two-year-old would have recognised his running style today (he has a distinctive way of carrying his head in an upward position).
Those who were unaware would have been amazed to learn he had been sidelined for so long.
There was no sign of ring rustiness and he did not beat an ordinary field in the Graduation Plate over 1200m either.
He slammed the highly touted three-year-old filly Southern Skies, who started 46/100 favourite, by 2,25 lengths despite giving her 6kg.
S’Manga Khumalo has ridden him in both his comeback runs.
Dyce went into the race rated 101 and has now reclaimed his status as an exciting prospect.
Lucky’s wife Natalie said afterwards, “The longer you give them, the better they come back.”
The Houdalakis team were behind J J The Jet Plane’s incredible Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint win, which provided the cherry on the top of what must surely be the greatest comeback story in the history of South African racing.
Piere Strydom was of course aboard the Lucky Houdalakis-trained superstar that famous day on 12 December 2010 and to this day rates J J, whom he rode to six Grade 1 victories, as the best he has ever ridden.
Turf Talk Speaks To Tattersalls’ Jason Singh About Star-Studded Mare Sale
Jason Singh is the marketing manager of Tattersalls, the famous UK-based auctioneering company of British and Irish thoroughbreds, and he answered some questions about the forthcoming Tattersalls December Mare Sale which starts next week and has scarcely believable quality.
He said, “The December Mares Sale is an exceptional renewal this year, and the catalogue includes a remarkable six Group 1 winning race fillies with Alcohol Free, Saffron Beach, Pearls Galore, La Petite Coco, The Platinum Queen and Princess Zoe all set to go under the hammer along with Desert Berry, the dam of this year’s Derby winner Desert Crown. There are also 97 lots that make up the inaugural ‘Sceptre Sessions’, featuring elite fillies and broodmares that will be offered on the evenings of both Monday 28th and Tuesday 29th November.”
He continued, “The sale is arguably the most important bloodstock sale in the world and has been for 100 years. Breeders from all corners of the Globe come to the Tattersalls December Mares Sale to buy the broodmares that are going to hopefully be the cornerstone of their future breeding success.”
There are too many success stories from this sale to mention and Jason said, “To name just a few of them: Hayyona, the dam of G1 Champion Stakes winner BAY BRIDGE was purchased at the 2013 December Mares Sale for 18,000 gns; Poyle Sophie, the dam of the 1000 Guineas winner CACHET was purchased at the 2018 December Mares Sale for 3,000 gns; Suelita, the dam of the G1 Dewhurst Stakes winner CHALDEAN was purchased at the 2013 December Mares Sale for 21,500 gns; Pure Illusion, the dam of the triple G1 winner HIGHFIELD PRINCESS was purchased at the 2016 December Mares Sale for 18,000 gns; Needleleaf, the dam of the Irish 2000 Guineas winner NATIVE TRAIL was purchased at the 2015 December Mares Sale for 60,000 gns.”
The above results show why it is not just the big breeders who flock to this sale.
Nevertheless, the big guns are expected to attend this year as usual and Jason confirmed, “We would expect the major breeders from throughout Britain and Ireland and Europe to attend and of course notable breeders from the US< Australia and Japan will also be in attendance.”
And the record price at the Sale?
Jason answered, “Marsha (an Acclamation filly who won the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye as a three-year-old and the Group 1 Nunthorpe at four) sold for a European record 6,000,000 guineas at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in 2017. That sale was such a phenomenal result that it’s unrealistic to think that it will be beaten anytime soon.”
What are the expectations for this year’s Sale?
Jason replied, “We have had some remarkable sales over the years, but given the quality of the catalogue it is possible that records could be broken.”
Hollywood’s First Runner In Ireland Is A Winner
The Hollywood Syndicate’s familiar yellow with purple star silks were seen in Ireland for the first time today.
The four-year-old Jukebox Jury gelding Il Etait Temps, trained by Irish legend Willie Mullins and ridden by his son Patrick, started at 1/7 odds in a Maiden Hurdle over two miles.
He led form start to finish, winning by an easy ten lengths.
Hollywood have leased this horse from Barnane Stud and race him in partnership with them.
Barnane Stud is owned by Wayne and Craig Kieswetter of Ridgemont Highlands.
Il Etait Temps’ three previous runs over hurdles had all been in Grade 1’s and this was a step back into easy company.
The grey gelding made a bit of a hash of the first jump, but thereafter did not give backers any anxious moments, travelling within himself throughout and easily seeing off the couple of challengers at the end.
Mullins said in the guide to his string in October, “Il Etait Temps looks a really nice type for novice hurdles this season. We ran him in a few graded races last season and he was very keen, but he picked up invaluable experience which should help him. He’s going to have to settle better but he looks a real prospect to be a graded horse this year.”
It is too early to tell whether he will be targeted at the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival (Grade 1 exclusively for four-year-olds), but this horse should give Hollywood and the Kieswetters a lot of fun.
Can Rich Strike Overcome Lack of Pace to Win Clark Stakes?
I’m hoping to get a decent win price on Proxy with the name recognition of Rich Strike in the field and I’ll play him with Rich Strike and West Will Power in an exacta bet as well.
Can Silvano Use Another Big Race To Leapfrog Upstarts?
The late Silvano used last season’s R5 million Hollywoodbets Durban July to leapfrog his younger rivals in the race for the national champion stallion title, which he won for a sixth time, and he could feasibly jump from seventh place in the current log into the lead on Saturday after the running of the R2.5 million Betway Summer Cup.
Former champion Gimmethegreenlight is the log leader on R4,645,775, just over R100,000 clear of Silvano’s son Vercingetorix on R4,542,625.
Meanwhile, Silvano is languishing back in eighth place on R2,697,750, nearly R2 million behind the lead.
However, his progeny are set to dominate the R2.5 million Betway Summer Cup.
If the two favourites Sparkling Water and Safe Passage, both by Silvano, finish first and second that is a total of R2 million in stakes already.
Silvano is also bolstered by Pyromaniac, who has a shout if able to overcome the widest draw of all, and former Summer Cup winner Zillzaal.
So in the perfect scenario Silvano could take the lead in the championship.
However, he is unlikely to maintain it with his lack of numbers and big money on offer in Cape Town and Durban later in the season.
Lerena Family Double, De Melo, Khumalo, Janse Van Vuuren Doubles
Vicky Lerena rode the winner of the first at the Vaal Classic today, a workrider’s maiden over 1200m, and husband Gavin later gave the family double cause to celebrate tonight by winning the seventh.
Keagan de Melo, S’manga Khumalo both rode doubles and Johan Janse van Vuuren saddled a double.
Vicky Lerena has a perfect one win from one ride this season.
Gavin moves to 21 wins at a strike rate of 15.11%.
De Melo is on 103 wins at 21.33%, 38 wins clear of joint second-placed Muzi Yeni and Richard Fourie.
Khumalo is next on the log on 63 wins at a strike rate of 17.26%.
Janse van Vuuren is on 30 wins at 18.75%.
Today’s Question
What is the world record price for a broodmare at auction?
(Answer at bottom of newsletter).
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Today’s Question Answer
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Better Than Honour was a known commodity as a broodmare when she was offered at the 2008 Fasig-Tipton Mixed Bloodstock sale and knocked down for US$14 million.
A 1996 daughter of Deputy Minister and the Kentucky Oaks winner Blush With Pride, Better Than Honour was a $750,000 yearling who was a Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 placed on the track.
At stud, she proved herself an outstanding broodmare. She had produced consecutive winners of the Belmont Stakes — Jazil (2006) and the filly Rags to Riches (2007) — along with the Grade 3 winner Casino Drive when she was put up for sale in 2008 as part of a dispersal sale of horses jointly owned by Michael Moreno’s Southern Equine Stables and John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms.
It was Moreno, who already owned 70 percent of Better Than Honour, who made the winning bid of $14 million to buy the mare outright.
It made her the second most expensive horse ever sold at auction behind The Green Monkey.
Though the black type winners have dried up somewhat for Better Than Honour since that sale, the prices of her progeny at auction have remained high, ranging from $600,000 to $2.2 million.
