Jack Milner
Advertising executive Fred R Barnard coined the phrase that one picture is worth 1000 words. So, if anybody needed proof of Piere Strydom’s competence after a year off the track, all they have to do is look at the picture of his victory in Sunday’s R600,000 KZN Breeders Mile (Non-Black Type) at Hollywoodbets Greyville aboard Nexus.
Despite drifting from an opening call of 5-2 to start at 9-2, the six-year-old Dynasty gelding won with authority in the end, beating 3-1 tote favourite Battle Force by 0.75 lengths with Willow Express, also 3-1, the same distance back in third.
The Justin Snaith-trained gelding sat second for most of the journey as Battle Force set a somewhat sedate pace. Strydom took his mount to the inside but Battle Force started to hang in, taking Nexus with him.
But when Strydom asked for full effort from his mount in the closing stages, Nexus responded gamely began to move away from his chief rival.
“He is an easy ride,” said Strydom. “He had a good draw and he had the run of the race.”
Snaith said Nexus had travelled exceptionally well from Cape Town and that the race could not have panned out any better.
“It turned into a sprint which suited Nexus. He has won over 1400m, so a slow pace was no problem.”
Ironically, the previous time Nexus won was also with Strydom up, in the Grade 2 Peninsula Handicap at Kenilworth in December 2020, but on that occasion he came from well back.
Strydom will also be riding Belgarion for the Snaith yard in Saturday’s Hollywoodbets Durban July.
“To have Piere on, why wouldn’t you? He’s just a legend, a thorough professional so when he asked it was a no-brainer to give him a ride in the July,” said Snaith.
Nexus was Strydom’s only ride at the meeting, but he will be in action today on the Polytrack at Greyville, at the Vaal on Tuesday and at Turffontein on Thursday, before returning to Durban on Friday for Saturday’s meeting.
“Fitness-wise I feel quite good after the race, but the support I have received from people of all walks of life has been unbelievable,” said Strydom.
“This was just a little feature and I thought I’m coming back and I’ve got a chance, but people have been so behind me, before the race and then afterwards. I haven’t even gone near the WhatsApp messages and even when I came back to the jockey room they were cheering and clapping.
“It’s like a fairy tale.”
Picture: Candiese Lenferna/Gold Circle