Search
where the horse is always the hero
Article Item
Posted 2024-07-07 16:34:05  
Striker Speaks About His July Ride and the Non-Objection

Piere Strydom, affectionately known as "Striker," discussed his experience riding South Africa's highest-rated horse, See It Again, during a particularly rough race. Despite the challenging conditions, Strydom shared his insights with SAHorseracing.COM, starting with the chaotic incident at the 1400m mark that affected many jockeys and horses.

Strydom recounted, "I had such a nice position, like a winning position, but unfortunately, Shoemaker was in front of me. When Shoemaker started dropping back, Diego (De Gouveia) moved off, and my horse automatically went for the inside gap. However, Diego got pressure from the outside, and the jockey on the outside pushed Diego back to where he was. By that time, I was on the inside, and Richard Fourie got the worst of it. I was almost on the fence, and he was on my inside—that's where all the interference happened at the 1400m mark."

Despite the interference, Strydom managed to reposition himself. "We still managed to get where we needed to be on the rail, following Barbaresco through. I made my move when I needed to, but by the 200m mark, I was already under pressure to make up ground," he explained. "I was on a hard ride, and although we finished, I can't say I finished strongly—we basically just stayed on. By that time, Cousin Casey had passed me, and Oriental Charm was ahead."

At the business end of the race, Strydom described the interference caused by Oriental Charm. "I had the gap and space, but JP (Van Der Merwe) was coming towards the inside. The more I shouted, the more he ignored me. Naturally, it's the July, and as a jockey, you'd rather get suspended than lose the race. We ran out of space, and people wondered why there was no objection. The reason was I couldn't beat Oriental Charm, the horse that interfered with me, so they wouldn't change the result. The only other option was to suspend the jockey, which they did. To change the result, you have to be 100% positive that See It Again would have beaten Oriental Charm, and there was no way to prove that."

Reflecting on the race, Strydom concluded, "Unfortunately, we finished fifth when we should have run third. But I can't blame JP—I probably would have done the same."

Rate:
Email link to a friend | Printable Version
  • South Africa
    Displaying 10 ResultsSee All
    spring soma back in business20 hours ago

    In August, the Klawervlei-bred 5-year-old Back In Business, ridden by Muzi Yeni, claimed victory in ...

    View | Add Comment
    tc02 update from nha 5 days ago

    The National Horseracing Authority (NHA) hereby provides a further update on the Total Carbon Dioxid...

    View | Add Comment
    racing: foster debate not silence it6 days ago

    Springbok Rugby has been a lesson for everyone. Even just this week when the incumbent Springbok Fly...

    View | Add Comment
    bookmakers battle for top sponsorships2024-09-28

    Bookmakers are battling the world over, in gambling monopolies anyway, to acquire the rights to top ...

    View | Add Comment
    south african handicappers face increasing pressure2024-09-18

      The National Handicappers, including Chief Handicapper Lennon Maharaj, are under significant...

    View | Add Comment
    a few high profile tco2 positives but generally on the decline2024-09-14

    South Africa's hard line policy on TC02 positives has reaped positive results with the number of pos...

    View | Add Comment
    sectional timing mystery at 4racing courses 2024-09-12

    Despite a promising trial in 2022 at Turffontein, 4Racing courses still have not implemented section...

    View | Add Comment
    is lafferty correct to criticise the handicapper? 2024-09-08

    Trainer Upset by Handicapper Ratings, here's a deep dive into the ratings of the two mentioned horse...

    View | Add Comment
    kennedy wins jockey of the year in new zealand2024-09-08

    South African champion Warren Kennedy had won the Jockey of the Year title at the recent New Zealand...

    View | Add Comment
    greeff takes 12 of 18 east cape awards 2024-09-07

    The renamed East Cape Awards 2024, the headline local awards headlining horseracing achievements in ...

    View | Add Comment