Piere Strydom could clinch his 5.500th winner this weekend, as he is just three away from the milestone mark and has a number of decent rides at the Vaal tomorrow (Thursday) and at Turffontein on Saturday.
However, despite earlier saying he would officially retire when reaching that number of career winners, he revealed today he will carry on riding until WSB Cape Town Met day because he had been offered a potential ride on the Fanie Bronkhorst-trained Typeset in the R7,5 million WSB Gold Rush.
He is also associated with the promising Gareth van Zyl-trained Money Heist (Gimmethegreenlight), who is being targeted at the Grade 2 Selangor Cup and the Grade 1 R2 million Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas.
However, drawing a comparison with Frankie Dettori, who has apparently been delaying his retirement for some years, he said the retirement would still be happening and those two campaigns would likely be the last two carrots.
Typseset is currently eighth on the WSB Gold Rush log with a merit rating of 94.
None of her owners, Dr M Taljaardt, Bronkhorst himself and Mike Jolly, hold a ticket for the Gold Rush, so it sounds as if there have been some negotiations going on with one of the 16 “prospectors”.
Typeset is a typically rangy daughter of the ever-more prominent sire Futura.
On debut she went off at 25/1 odds over a 1000m trip which was thought to be too sharp, but she won easily by 3,25 lengths under Strydom.
Piere said, “She doesn’t have a lot of speed, but her class kicked in on that debut. In her next start (over 1200m) she was away sluggishly and was too far back, but ran on well for third (just 1,50 lengths behind the classy pair Ororari Gold and Feather Boa). Then Muzi was on her in her next start (also over 1200m) and she hit a flat spot at the top of the straight. She then got going late (to finish a 2,30 length second to Anfield’s Rocket). So, I think she might be better over further, because she doesn’t want to be chased.”
The big and rangy Typeset certainly strikes as one who will relish the Gold Rush trip of 1600m.
Futura’s Grade 1 wins were from 1600 up to 2000m and Typeset’s dam Muamba (by 1800m Grade 2 winner Pure Prize) won five times from 1400m to 1600m and is a half-sister to Mambo Mime (Mambo In Seattle), who won the Grade 3 Byerley Turk over 1400m, but was also placed third in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000.
Strydom rode Money Heist at 2,5kg overweight on Sunday in a Graduation Plate over 1600m at Hollwyoodbets Greyville and he said, “The overweight cost him as he only lost by a short-head. I wish he had got up, but he did give me a good feel. The target is the Cape Guineas, although I don’t know if he can win it because there are some top horses around.”
Piere does not know whether there will be any fanfare when he reaches the magical 5,500 mark.
He recalled that he was expected to reach 5,000 milestone at a Turffontein meeting, but was still one short and then rode a blank at the Vaal. The roadshow had thus moved to a Saturday meeting at Kenilworth and he had fittingly reached 5,000 on the Joey Ramsden-trained Act Of War in the Grade 2 Selangor Cup.
He recalled one or two journalists had followed him to that meeting and there was a lot of fanfare.
He said, “There was a festive atmosphere when I won, it was a really nice gesture and I appreciated it.”
Piere hopes to reach the 5,500 mark at Turffontein, as it is the flagship course of the Highveld.
His wife and family are going to be there on Saturday too.
However, he said he wouldn’t mind if it happened at The Vaal tomorrow and added, “I enjoy riding at The Vaal, I think it is one of the best courses around.”
He has been enjoying himself travelling lately to various meeting and taking his kids with him.
He said, “My fitness levels have picked up nicely and I have lost half-a-kilogram. I would like to lose a little more, but I am not putting myself under any pressure to reach my goal, I am just trying to rather enjoy it.”
He said about the knee issues that had bothered him for much of his career, “You must remember that I have ridden in thousands of other races besides the 5,500 winners and the knees take strain. When I first came back the knee issue was there, but lately it has gone. I think it must be because a bit of muscle has been built as I got fitter.”
He concluded by saying that presuming he reached 5,500 winners before the campaigns of Money Heist and Typeset, he would carry on riding regularly in order to stay fit.
So, there is a distinct possibility that this year’s Met will have the added attraction of being the legendary Piere “Striker” Strydom’s farewell day.
