The Michael Roberts-trained See It Again , Piere Strydom up (Candiese Lenferna Photogaphy)
Piere “Striker” Strydom took a nasty fall at the New Year’s Eve meeting at the Vaal, which he blamed on the length and thickness of the grass, but he fortunately came through a scan clear and is confident he will be ready to ride See It Again in the Met.
Striker said, “I have taken rides next Thursday, so am hoping I will be ok. It is probably going to be more about the bruising working its way out. I have bruising on my ankle, my calves, my knees, my neck, my shoulders, but it seems like it is all the one side, so when I fell I think the horse must have run over me on the one side. I think she caught me with her legs, but the biggest problem was a deep cut on the arm, I think the nail of the shoe must have nipped me. It cut quite deep and they had to do internal stitches and then the external ones to make sure it doesn’t split open. The stiches are coming out tomorrow (Friday). I am still quite sore and they say it can be another week or even a month for the bruising to work it’s way completely out, but when you are riding and thus moving the blood flow is up and then it improves quicker, so I am hoping I will become more supple after getting back to riding next Thursday.”
Meanhwile, See It Again had a terrible trip in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate, being caught wide the whole way, and trailed in last.
However, on the bright side Piere said that trainer Michael Roberts had told him See It Again had returned neither blowing nor coughing.
He said, “We’re hoping he just had bad luck and had a bad run.”
Striker blamed the unusually long and thick grass on the day for the fall at the Vaal and explained, “At this time of the year they start leaving the grass longer so that they’ve got some cushion for the winter months. But what happens is when it starts getting longer and the Christmas/New Year period comes they don’t cut it as often because there is less staff. So the grass becomes extremely thick. It is already getting longer and it then gets thick too. So that’s why those other horses fell, that’s why I fell and that is why the Saturday before I fell I had one ride and I got off and said I don’t want to do it. I actually felt Turffontein was worse than the Vaal. At Turffontein that day I won on my only ride but almost fell after the line, my horse stumbled three times in a row and that’s when I said no, I’m off.”
Striker continued, “If they don’t pick their feet up high enough then the grass catches them. It is either because they feel a little bit crippled, so they don’t pick their feet up as much, or they have got a bit tired or they start getting a bit lazy.”
Piere is not sure what happened in his case, in which the filly nosedived a few strides after the start. He said he had been chasing her for two or three strides to get in a position when she suddenly came down.
Piere was flung off and hit the ground in front of the filly very hard.
He said, “I just went straight down, I had no time to think or hope. I landed on my neck and shoulder and that is why I was so worried about a broken neck, that was my biggest concern. I have been through it so many times that I know the procedure.”
However, he spoke of how terrible it was to be lying deadstill hoping there was noithing wrong with you. He said he had kept moving his toes the whole time hoping there were no pins and needles.
Thankfully the CT Scan was clear.
See It Again is the 5/1 joint second favourite for the Met but if finding his best he will be the one to beat as he is the highest rated entrant and both of his Gr 1 wins have been over the 2000m trip.
Piere will also be looking forward to riding Dyce in the Gr 1 Cape Flying Championship, where the Lucky Houdalakis-trained William Longsword gelding will be defending his title. Piere actually believes he he is better over 1200m, but the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth 1000m is the toughest in the country so should suit him again.
