Latest news with #DurbanJulys
The Citizen
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Striker: Exit the master jockey
Peerless Piere Strydom has finally called it a day. Trainer and old friend Sean Tarry sums it up well: 'If you want to learn how to ride racehorses, just watch Piere Strydom.' Racing fans in Gqeberha nicknamed Strydom 'Striker' early in his career – when he was starting out as a jockey in his hometown in the 1980s – because of his uncommon ability to precisely judge the pace of a race and fly up from behind to win by a whisker. His father Hekkie, a former jockey and trainer in the Windy City, lectured him from an early age about a race not being won at the 200m pole but rather at the winning post. The truth is young Strydom won a lot of races by leading all the way, utilising a coastal tailwind to get away – and stay away – from rivals. Indeed, in those days frontrunning victories were a lot rarer than they are now and Strydom was influential in major tactical changes in the game – even after he moved to Joburg in 1889/90 and took mainstream racing by storm. Spectacular career For anyone who missed it, 59-year-old Strydom announced his retirement from riding this week. He has not renewed his licence for the 2026 season and will ride his last race at the Vaal next week. The stats: six national jockey championships, four Durban Julys, seven wins on a card twice and 'five thousand, six hundred and, um, nearly twenty' career wins. The legend: one of the top two South African jockeys of all time, along with Muis Roberts. The pinnacle: beating the best jockeys and speed horses in the world aboard South Africa's J J The Jet Plane at Sha Tin in the Hong Kong Sprint in 2010. Piere Strydom after winning the 2016 Durban July on The Conglomerate. Picture: Steve Haag/Gallo Images Time to call it quits Speaking on a podcast hosted by his new employer Joao da Mata of Glistian Events, Striker said the time had come to finally hang up his saddle – after threatening to do so for a decade. 'It just came to the point where I didn't feel like getting on a horse,' he said. 'It's always nice to ride these winners, it still gives you a thrill … and knowing that you're doing the job right and to see other people happy. I've always been a competitive person, but how do I compete when I don't want to ride? 'I still do the job I need to do, but when you start thinking about the possibility of getting injured again and stuff like that you know it is time to call it.' He added that the cost of his insurance policies had also grown unsustainable. Looking ahead Strydom will keep busy in a hospitality role for Glistian – mixing with clients/guests at race days, golf days and other fun events. Racing scribes like me have written many thousands of words in praise of Piere Strydom over the decades. Racehorse owners like me have seen him win on our nags when the task looked impossible. Acquaintances such as I have always been touched by the friendliness, warmth and honesty of the man. There's not much more to say. Go well, Striker!
The Citizen
12-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Selukwe proving patience is a Plattner virtue
Late developer Selukwe has galloped into the Durban July picture. A new video on YouTube takes viewers on a visit to Plattner Racing's Rondeberg training stables in Western Cape. While enjoying the sight of thoroughbreds galloping on magnificent tracks through the West Coast fynbos, or walking on the nearby Atlantic Ocean beach sands, you can listen to trainer Andre Nel explaining the equine philosophy of the woman who made it all possible: Sabine Plattner. 'The horse's welfare is paramount; that takes precedence over everything,' explains Nel, who is private trainer to Plattner. 'Racing is almost a byproduct of what we do here,' adds Nel, gazing bemusedly at the idyllic setting. Plattner – a horse-lover from her earliest days in post-war Germany – frowns on pushing youngsters to perform and has been known to forego major juvenile races and even three-year-old Classics if necessary. As this promo video was being posted to the internet by Cape Racing, a real-life example of the virtue of patience was unfolding thousands of kilometres away at Greyville racecourse in Durban. Selukwe, a five-year-old bred at Plattner's La Plaisance Stud farm in George – 20km down the road from Fancourt golf estate owned by her family – was raising eyebrows by trouncing a classy field in the WSB 1900m. Impressive progression Selukwe was not rushed as a youngster, racing nine times in his first year on the track – with a modest return of one win. Not looking much of a prospect, he was shipped off to Nel's satellite yard in KwaZulu-Natal in search of a change of fortune. Up the coast, under the care of assistant trainer Byron Foster, the penny dropped – as they say in the classics. Since getting his second win – at Scottsville in May 2024 – he has not been out of the prizemoney in 12 outings, culminating in Saturday's Grade 3 triumph. No burnout or staleness there. In his winning interview, Foster said of Selukwe: 'His progression has been very impressive. To say he was going to win a group race nine months ago, you'd have probably said we were off our heads.' He added: 'We've always said, once he gets the pace we'll see a true reflection of his acceleration.' Indeed, it was acceleration – from the back of the field off a wide draw – that so impressed onlookers. And this followed a front-running victory in the recent UmThombothi Stakes in which he effortlessly sped away from rivals at the death. Durban July prospect Such a turn of foot wins Hollywoodbets Durban Julys, so it's a good job the gelding is already nominated for South Africa's premier race, which takes place in eight weeks' time. Saturday's winning odds of 16-1 indicate how unrealistic that nomination looked to punters last week. On the question of the July, the assistant said such decisions were made by Nel and Plattner. When July first declarations closed on Monday morning, Selukwe and Nel stablemate Zeitz were among the 49 names standing their ground. Last week bookmakers were happy to give 250-1 on Selukwe to win the July. On Monday morning the price was 25-1.
