Striker’s moment of glory – Act Of War gives the champion a 5000th winner (Bay Media)
Who can recall when last such genuine heartfelt horseracing related emotion was felt on a scale witnessed at Kenilworth on Saturday? The outstanding Dynasty 3yo Act Of War had just nominated himself as a likely Cape Guineas favourite with a scintillating victory in the R400 000 Gr2 Selangor Cup but his big moment was simply overshadowed by the great jockey on his back.
After watching last weekend’s jockey international, it is probably pushing the envelope somewhat to suggest that most jockeys would have been capable of steering Joey Ramsden’s smashing colt to victory. We won’t ever make that assumption.
But as expected, multiple SA champion Piere Strydom produced a typical professional performance on a really good horse and the result was a formality 300m out.
Cape Town racegoers were privileged to witness Striker’s 5000th winner – a defining moment – let’s say one of quite a few – in the champion’s career and an honour denied his Gauteng fans by a twist of mathematics and a fall of the cards.
The seasoned Strydom, in a rare show of emotion and with a dazzling bling ‘5000’ garland around his neck, bowed his head as the tears flowed and he humbly thanked all the owners and trainers who had supported him over the years. He conceded that if he could have chosen, he would have opted to achieve the feat in his home province.
And the great sportsman even found his feet to inject some humour into his comments.
Said with genuine humility, his comments were typical of a world-class competitor whose name will go down in racing history as one of the greatest jockeys that any of us will witness in our lifetimes.
5000 up. Well done Piere Strydom!
The race was a formality and after the Striker gold dust had settled, Joey Ramsden and Markus Jooste look to have a serious Guineas horse on their hands.
“The day belongs to Piere Strydom,” said owner Markus Jooste magnanimously as he stood on a winner’s podium so crowded, the winning jockey and trainer were unsighted initially as they battled to book their accommodation.
“But it also looks like Joey may have found us another Variety Club,” added Jooste confidently.
Trainer Joey Ramsden, who saddled the winning exacta (great achievement but it seemed nobody noticed ) as the boom 2yo Kingvoldt ran an improved race to finish second, eventually had an opportunity to speak and said that he expected to take Act Of War straight into the Guineas.
“But let’s give a mention to Anton Marcus, whom we are missing today. I wish him a speedy recovery on his injured thumb. Thankfully we found a great sub,” he said.
Only six opponents pitched up to take on Act Of War, who was sent off at 6 to 10 and delivered like a really top horse.
Dean Kannemeyer’s Balance Sheet was a little slow away as Cotton Hill led Generalissimo with Act Of War guided around his field after 200m by the milestone man Strydom, to settle in third ahead of Mljet.
Joey Ramsden- a job well done again and a winning exacta for the yard
Into the straight Act Of War was patently going best of all and he coasted into the lead as his stablemate Kingvoldt moved up two lengths adrift.
But it was race over some way out as Act Of War stormed home to beat the fast-finishing Kingvoldt by 2,25 lengths in a time of 97,05 secs.
This was Act Of War’s fifth win on the trot and he numbers, with some distinction in a brief career, the Gr3 Langerman and the Gr3 Cape Classic as his previous top achievements.
Mljet was never in the hunt but stayed on for a well beaten 4,50 lengths third, with Balance Sheet passing horses to run into fourth after his tardy start. He looks more of a Derby horse.
Dennis Drier’s Var star Generalissimo, who only a fortnight ago smashed the Kenilworth 1200m record, was given every chance from his 1 draw but failed to see out the mile and he dropped away to 8,25 lengths behind the winner.
Act Of War was bred by Arc En Ciel Stud and is by Dynasty, who just 40 minutes earlier clocked up the first leg of a Gr2 double courtesy of SA Horse Of The Year, Legislate’s victory in the Green Point Stakes. What a superb stallion he has developed into!
The winner is out of the four time winning Cordoba mare, Si Senorita.
He was purchased for R550 000 on the Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 and has now won 5 of 6 starts with 1 place for stakes of R663 000.
The Cape Guineas is shaping into the race of the season, if things carry on like this!
