Piere Strydom steers Flame Cat to a good win (JC Photos)
Our ever reliable multiple champion jockey Piere Strydom got Pick 6 punters off to a great start when he drove Mike Azzie’s Australian-bred Flame Cat to victory in the R125 000 Sophomore Fillies 1000 at the Vaal on Saturday. But the win was not without a measure of stress.
“They have to apply this new stalls loading system with a measure of proactivity. When you have an odds-on favourite loading first and other horses are messing around it is not good for the punters. It irks me too that I school my horses properly and others don’t school theirs,” said an emotional trainer Mike Azzie after the race.
With the deafening tones of energetic DJ Vin Deysel setting a rather paradoxical backdrop to Africa’s richest sand raceday, the hot fancy Flame Cat stood kicking her heels in the gates as a few of her opposition played silly stupid, with Fire Dancing bursting through the stalls.
With the Pick 6 pool falling slightly short of target at R4 940 000, the field was despatched on terms eventually. Piere Strydom eased the favourite back off the pace as the speedy Ha Lucy and the maiden Winter Al set the fractions.
With the front two shortening strides, the cool as a cucumber Piere Strydom produced Flame Cat between runners at the 300m marker and she quickly asserted her authority to draw off and win by 4,50 lengths in a time of 59, 14 secs. She started at 13 to 20.
The troublesome Fire Dancing stayed on best for second with Ha Lucy running into third.
School your horses, says Mike Azzie
“She moves well and was the horse to beat. But a lot of the 3yo’s are unknown quantities so while it was my best ride, it was also a pressure ride. She jumped well but pecked and was off the bit a long way out. I don’t know if she had much in hand but it was a good win as she will be better over 1200m. At least I have a dinner to come from Mike, “ laughed Piere Strydom.
Trainer Mike Azzie said that Flame Cat’s heart was as big as her body.
“She doesn’t know how to run a bad race. But I am glad that she has shed her perennial bridesmaid tag. I cannot say again how grateful I am to the Van Vuuren family for their support. What great owners they are and they have changed my life,” he said, choking with emotion.
Owned by Adriaan and Rika Van Vuuren, Flame Cat is a daughter of Tale Of The Cat the four-time winning Flying Spur mare, Frontier.
She was bred in Australia by Jonel Park Thoroughbreds and cost all of A$ 80 000.
She has now won 2 races with 8 places from 11 starts and took her earnings to R361 750.
