David Thiselton

PIERE STRYDOM was in sublime form at Turffontein Inside on Saturday and rode the winner of the last three races to take his career tally to 5459.

Strydom has reportedly said he would retire at the end of this season so will be going all out to make it a memorable one.

The last of the abovementioned winners, the Brett Webber-trained Written In Stone, has been taken to a new level by Strydom and can carry on progressing considering the way he won on Saturday.

This five-year-old by Pathfork has had an interesting career.

He was bred by Schalk and Clare Le Roux’s Goudini Stud and was bought by Webber for R50,000 at the Cape Thoroughbred Sales’ March Yearling Sale of 2017. 

Written In Stone’s cleverly named dam Autograf, who is by Becker out of Sharp Ledge (Fine Edge), won three times over 1200m at Turffontein, Newmarket and Bloemfontein, and won once over 1400m at Bloemfontein.  

At Stud Autograf had previously produced three-time winning Var filly Lady Beatrix, a one-time winner by Bankable and two one-time winners by Gitano Hernando.

Written In Stone took eleven races to win his maiden. He converted 8/1 odds in a Workrider’s Maiden Plate over 1160m at Turffontein in May last year under Madimong Isaac Duba. 

He was well beaten in his first three runs out of the maidens and looked to have a bleak future.

However, then came his first transformation, brought on by a rest and gelding.

He came back in a strong Pinnacle Stakes event over 1200m at the Vaal where he finished a mere 6,50 lengths behind the winner Hawwaam and four lengths behind Grade 1-winning sprinter Chimichuri Run.

The bookmakers did not appear to notice that he had performed about 10kg above his 66 merit rating on paper and priced him up at 16/1 for his next start over the same course and distance. His odds had tumbled to 25/4 by the off and he finished a one length second under the same pilot Keenan Steyn. 

He went close in his next three starts from 1160m to 1400m. 

However, his problem appeared to be a habit of running on too late.

He found 1600m too far next time out and then at last recorded his second career win over 1450m on February 1 this year.

He then finished unplaced in two more attempts at 1600m.

However, dropped back in trip, he has not missed a cheque in nine subsequent starts.

Strydom rode him in March for the first time but in July this year became Written In Stone’s regular partner. The partnership has yielded two wins, two seconds and a third in five starts.

Between Webber and Strydom they have worked out how to get the best out of this strongly built bay.

Rather than being bottled up off the pace he appears to enjoy racing without cover close to the pace and then finds plenty, suggesting he has more ability than his rating reflects. Strydom had him facing the breeze in the front-line three runs ago over 1200m at the Vaal and he ran away at the end to win easing up by three lengths from Holy Man, who won next time out.

He used similar tactics four days later over the same course and distance and was probably only beaten by his low draw as he ran on strongly for third.

Then on Saturday Strydom kept him wide initially in a 1200m event around the turn and although he was happy to have him covered up approaching the straight he switched him out for a run a full 700 metres from home. Written In Stone once again found plenty at the business end and ran away to win by 2,50 lengths from another progressive sort, Putin’s Promise.

This is the difference a truly great jockey can make. It is not just the riding skills but the intuition which separates them from mere mortals and it will be most interesting to see how much further this partnership can progress now that the key to the horse’s ability has been found. Owners Fred and Linda Mindszenty and B I d’Oliveira are sure to have a lot more fun with this horse. The latter 0wns Written In Stone’s half-sister by Wylie Hall, the Webber-trained Signed And Sealed, who finished second in the first race on Saturday under Hennie Greyling.

The handicappers showed Written In Stone a lot of respect by raising him seven points for Saturday’s win to an 82. 

In the first of Strydom’s hattrick on Saturday he rode a patient race on Sell High, who looked to have some other fancied horses held on paper. 

The Dorrie Sham-trained five-year-old Mambo In Seattle gelding weaved his way through in the 1800m MR 88 Handicap event to win by a cosy 0,60 lengths from Category Four.

The second of his wins was on the Corne Spies-trained four-year-old Crusade filly Madame Patrice. In this 1200m event it was interesting to see Strydom keeping the filly quite wide around the turn in second place, probably to avoid the loose ground which had been churned up by seven prior races. She kept on finding in the straight to beat topweight Royal Lily by a quarter-of-a-length. The latter was highly tried early in her career and should be followed as she ran on strongly from the back.