Andrew Harrison
Piere Strydom has put retirement off in the same vein as Frankie Dettori who, after a farewell tour of the UK, moved to the United States and is enjoying a new lease on his career. To be fair, Strydom, in spite of his age, still rides most of the current crop of his weighing room colleagues to sleep and is ‘striking’ at a remarkable 28%. As I see it, if his body holds out, one of the most talented riders to ever grace a pigskin will keep rolling.
He partners Miss Hannigan in the Tab Telebet Handicap on the Turffontein inner today and in spite of Fabian Habib’s runner being the class filly in the race, Strydom will need all his tactical nouse to get her home under her welter burden of 62kg. She is a filly that likes to stretch the arms but Strydom is a master judge of pace and takes over in the saddle from the indisposed S’Manga Khumalo who is recovering from knee surgery.
At the bottom of the handicap are the Lucky Houdalakis pairing of Alabama Anna and Willy Meet Again. Craig Zackey usually does duty for the stable but 52kg is beyond his dietary target and Marco van Rensburg, fresh from his win on Winchester Mansion last Saturday, does duty.
The lightly raced daughter of William Longsword has won two of her four starts and was a winner over course and distance last time out. Second placed Doitwithdiamonds franked that form, winning in good company.
Willy Meet Again takes a big jump in class but does have 10kg in hand over Miss Hannigan which could make the difference between winning and losing.
The former Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Hammies Hero has been out of action since March and makes his Highveld debut for Brett Crawford. If the record of first-time runners from the Cape in KZN is any indication, it would be folly to ignore Hammies Hero in spite of him taking on some well exposed locals that include Nazare and Doitwithdiamonds.
Hammies Hero has been confined to the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth straight at recent starts and arrives on the Highveld off a smart win over 1100m. The lengthy break is a concern but Crawford and his son James are a polished outfit and I am expecting a big effort from the son of Twice Over who should relish the step up in trip from a favourable draw.
However, he does face stiff opposition from the locals. Candice Dawson sends out Nazare from gate six and the five-year-old was outpaced late when third, beaten less than a length, by Wolf Mountain last time out. On that showing he is cherry-ripe and the step up in trip should be what he’s looking for.
Doitwithdiamonds was a winner over course and distance for Tony Peter last time out, just reward for a string of placed runs. He only got a three-point raise in the handicap for that effort and although he gives weight to both Hammies Hero and Nazare, he should still be competitive.
Mike de Kock’s filly Destiny Of Fire can round off the Pick 6 and the card. A narrow winner over the Hollywoodbets Scottsville 1200m on debut, De Kock stepped her up to a mile in the Non-Black Type Beach Beauty in a tough introduction to handicap company. She looked all over a winner before being collard late by Care Forgot. She looks well weighted, progressive and from a fair draw can convert.
Blinkers could see Ancient Wisdom finally realise her potential after making a smart debut as a two-year-old but she may have to first get past Rising Russian in the opening leg of the Pick 6. She made good improvement for Robbie Sage last time out and Philasande Mxoli is slowly make a name for himself.
The fourth is a competitive handicap but Fanie Bronkhorst has dropped Bregardt from an 80MR handicap to a 66MR and title-chasing Gavin Lerena has jumped ship from Call Me Master, who although returning from a break, has some consistent recent form. Ode To The Ocean has been struggling for her second win but had excuses last time out as she was reported to have had a mouth injury. She was narrowly beaten over course and distance at her previous outing and a drop in class could see her home at good odds.
Lerena and Bronkhorst join forces again with One Party in the fifth. She is another that takes a drop in the handicap and although she carries top weight she was running on well over five furlongs last time out after returning from a break. That run should have brought her on nicely and given her pedigree, should enjoy this step back to a more suitable trip.
