Evergreen veteran Piere ‘Striker’ Strydom is widely regarded as one of the finest jockeys to have ridden in this country. Despite growing long in the tooth, the 58-year-old is riding at the top of his game and continues to churn out the winners.
At the time of writing (1 August to 23 December), Strydom’s 42 winners this term have come from 143 rides at an impressive 29% strike rate – better than that of leading riders Gavin Lerena (26%), Craig Zackey (17%) and Richard Fourie (23%), all of whom are nearing 100-winners milestone for the season.
Strydom ended 2024 in good form with a double at Turffontein’s 16 December Public Holiday meeting before adding to his tally on the eight-race Vaal Classic track card on 19 December with a win and a third from two rides, and his hot streak will likely spill over into the new year, beginning with the seven-event fixture on Turffontein’s Standside track on Thursday 2 January.
Dylan’s Champ is Strydom’s first of four rides on the card and the Fabian Habib-trained gelding should get the meeting and 2025 off to a winning start for Striker in Race 1 over 1400m. This three-year-old son of Rafeef is proving costly to follow but he wouldn’t be winning out of turn after second place finishes in each of his last three starts.
Versatile Fostinovo finished fourth over 1200m in his only appearance with Strydom aboard and Johan Janse van Vuuren’s charge is reunited with the veteran rider in Race 3 over 1400m after an encouraging last-start second over the same course and distance on 7 December under Marco van Rensburg.
The formidable Strydom-Van Vuuren combination should be to the fore again in Race 6 over 1400m. Progressive Happy Mo went strength from strength in six outings from 1 August to 19 December, winning twice and finishing second three times over distances from 1200m to 1600m after finishing third over 1800m on Day 1 of the 2024/25 campaign.
She was game in defeat last time, overcoming the widest draw and leading most of the way before being outrun in the closing stages of that 1600m contest to be beaten 1.50 lengths by improving three-year-old filly Care Forgot – to whom she conceded 5kg.
From a favourable No 2 gate over 1400m with Strydom in the irons, Happy Mo should find the lead easily and she could be hard to peg back under the master tactician.
Grant Maroun’s Bezrin mare Rattle Bag scored in her only association with Strydom so it could pay to side with horse and rider when reunited in Race 7 over 1400m.
Clive Robinson
