A crowd of over 10 000 flocked to Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, and besides being treated to a champagne performance by rising star Charles Dickens, they witnessed a vintage display from one of the world’s great jockeys.
With only four rides on the big day, multiple champion Piere Strydom will be thrilled to have teamed up with the 7yo Nexus to deliver a match-winning performance at 50 to 1 in the R400 000 Ridgemont Highlands Gr2 Peninsula Handicap.
Nexus and Piere Strydom draw clear to beat Imilenzeyokududuma (Sean Veale) in an entertaining race (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The 7year old and the 56 year old have built up a special affinity and turned on the charm for the happy crowd as Sean Veale and Imilenzeyokududuma joined in a scrap with 350m to go.
Fresh after a 19-week break, Nexus raced just off the pace set by the Piet Botha pair of Rockin Ringo and Baratheon, before slipping his field and being joined by Imilenzeyokududuma.
The tussle lasted a few strides before Strydom balanced his mount and drew away to beat Imilenzeyokududuma (4-1) by 1,50 lengths in a time of 111,9 secs.
Glen Kotzen’s 6yo Han Solo (7-1) ran third a further 1,75 lengths back.
The WSB Cape Town Met entries Airways Law, Senso Unico, Winchester Mansion, Baratheon and Silvano’s Timer all failed to feature.
The feature represented a welcome return to champion breeders Ridgemont Highlands to the sponsor fold.
Nexus, a R1,7 million National Yearling Sale graduate, was bred by Rathmor Stud and hails from a Gr1 family.
Dawn of a new era! (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
He is a son of the perennial powerhouse Dynasty (Fort Wood) – who was the sire of the first and second placed runners – and is out of the top-class five-time winning Jet Master mare, Mystery Dame.
He has won 9 races with 10 places from 31 starts for stakes of R1 331 725.
Owner Nancy Hossack said that every time she considers retirement for Nexus, trainer Justin Snaith suggests she holds on and the gelding produces a winning performance.
Watch the replay here:
