Dyce is one of many top horses keeping any thoughts of retirement well at bay for Piere “Striker” Strydom. (JC Photos)
It is almost two years ago, on November 24, 2022, to be exact, that the legendary Piere Strydom rode his 5,500th winner and it had more significance at the time than just being a milestone achievement because it was at one stage supposed to be his final goal and would herald his retirement.
However, he is now further away from retirement than he he has ever been in the last two years, because he is associated with a plethora of good horses.
He will not only be aboard the Betway Summer Cup favourite and highest rated horse in the country, See It Again, on Summer Cup day, November 30, but will also be riding the Equus Horse Of The Year Dave The King in a Pinnacle Stakes event, he will be aboard the record-breaking champion filly Quid Pro Quo in the Gr 2 Betway Dingaans, he rides the useful White Pearl in the Gr 3 Betway Carry On Alice Stakes, he will be aboard crack filly Fatal Flaw in the Gr 3 Betway Fillies Mile, he rides the talented but quirky Shoemaker in the Betway Consolation Stakes and he will attempt to make it three-in-a-row on the talented Champion Warrior in the last race of the day.
All of White Pearl, Fatal Flaw and Shoemaker are owned by the owners who retain Piere, the ASSM Syndicate.
Landing the ride on Quid Pro Quo is somewhat ironic, because this stalwart homebred filly’s trainer Barend Botes gave Piere his 5500th winner on that day almost two years ago at the Vaal on a horse called Admiralty Arch (Admiral Kitten) in a 1200m event.
However, the above-mentioned horses are not the only good ones he has become associated with.
He is also now the incumbent rider on the best sprinter in the country, the Lucky Houdalakis-trained Dyce (William Longsword).
Today he rode a most promising Fabian Habib-trained horse called Bacchus to an impressive victory.
Bacchus gave him what must have been his 5585th career victory, considering it was his 85th win since that 5500th win on Admiralty Arch.
Piere is riding so well that his strike rate for his 33 wins this season is the highest in the country at 29.20% and he seems to be become more and more in demand with each passing meeting.
The only detractor is his weight, which means he can only ride at a minimum of 58kg.
However, there seems no stopping the legend and retirement is never spoken about anymore.
Piere ended a stint of close to 15 months on the sidelines by coming back on June 26, 2022.
The eye condition that had kept him away had settled enough to allow him to ride, but there were still some concerns and he said his intention was to just ride eleven more winners to reach the career figure of 5,500 winners before hanging up his riding boots for good.
In typical style the legend’s first ride back was a winner as he got the Justin Snaith-trained six-year-old Nexus gelding up by 0,75 lengths to win the KZN Breeders Mile on the Hollywoodbets Greyville turf.
Thereafter it proved tough to get suitable rides.
The first double of his comeback was only in mid-October.
He finally reached the magical 5500 mark exactly a year ago at the Vaal Classic track on the Barend Botes and Yolandi Vosloo-trained Admiralty Arch (Admiral Kitten) in a 1200m handicap, converting 2/1 favouritism by a length.
However, at the time he had become associated with the Gareth van Zyl-trained Money Heist (Gimmethegreenlight).
He had partnered this promising three-year-old to a close second in a Graduation Plate over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville and they followed that with a decent a 4.05 length fifth to Cousin Casey in the Gr 2 Cape Punters Cup over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
Piere had to stay on to complete the agreement that he would partner this horse in the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas in mid-December.
He duly partnered him to a 6,90 length sixth in a vintage renewal of the prestigious race, which was won by 4,25 lengths by the superstar Charles Dickens.
Piere’s new retirement date was now going to be WSB Met day, as he was to ride the Ricky Maingard-trained Gr 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate winner Al Muthana as well as the Justin Snaith-trained Itsrainingwilliam in the R7 million Gold Rush.
In the meantime an old friend of his Joe Soma phoned him and said, “Come and ride this filly (Lady Of Power) and some others before retiring and if it goes well you can carry on for a bit longer.”
Soma said at the time, “I am a small yard and top jockeys are usually affiliated to big yards, so sometimes I have been fired by them, although sometimes I fire jockeys. With Piere it is now about chapter 34! I think this is the final chapter and I hope it is a happy one.”
It was a happy one. Piere won on Master Of My Fate filly Lady Of Power on the week of the Met.
Met day was now no longer retirement day.
In the Met Al Muthana was unable to find a clear run in a messy race and finishing unplaced. Itsrainingwilliam had earlier finished a fine third in the Gold Rush.
A week later up on the Highveld Piere produced won of the all time masterful rides at Turffontein Standside to win the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas on Lady Of Power.
Piere did not have any rides in the three weeks between the Gauteng Fillies Guineas win and Cape Derby day, where he was due to ride the Justin Snaith-trained Itsrainingwilliam. Was Cape Derby day going to be the new retirement date?
No, because fate then intervened in the most fortuitous way.
Itsrainingwilliam was scratched and Jonathan Snaith suggested to prolific Durban-based owner Nick Jonsson that Strydom would be a great rider for Jonsson’s Michael Roberts-trained Cape Derby candidate See It Again. The connections fancied the Twice Over colt for the Derby but had not yet appointed a rider and so on Jonathan Snaith’s suggestion Piere landed the ride.
See It Again was coming off a 3,20 length seventh in the Gold Rush, which was viewed as a creditable run, but the Cape Derby was not a limited race like the Gold Rush and See It Again was ignored by the punting public.
He was sent out at 50/1 odds, but after being patiently waited with at the top of the straight he powered home to down Charles Dickens by a comfortable two lengths. Another master class from the sadddle.
A new superstar was born and any thought of retirement now went out the window.
Piere is of course still associated with the now twice Gr 1-winner See It Again.
However, he is no longer his only big horse and it looks likely that there will be many more master classes for the racing fraternity to enjoy.
It was questioned by some why he had not embarked on any farewell tours when retirement was imminent two years ago and it is most fortunate he did not.
Frankie Dettori did do the latter and after taking part in a plethora of farewell ceremonies and accepting momentos etc he likely felt obliged to depart at a time when he was on the top of the game, although his USA career is going superbly too.
