Former champs put on a masterclass at Turffontein

It was an off-season, run-of-the-mill meeting, but Saturday at Turffontein is likely to be remembered for a good while for its outstanding exhibition of race riding.

Two members of South Africa’s jockey royalty – Gavin Lerena and Piere Strydom – dominated the action by not only winning seven of the nine carded races – four and three respectively – but doing so with vintage brilliance.

It brought their respective winning ratios this season to 25.6% and 28.8% – amazing stats and well ahead of rivals on the local roster.

‘Masterful’

Renowned trainer Mike de Kock summed up the quality on show when he said of Strydom’s victory in Race 6 aboard his charge Wolf Mountain: “It was one of those races that apprentice jockeys should be made to look at – 20 times a day!”

“Masterful”, “very impressive” and “a lot of judgement” were among other phrases De Kock lavished on the veteran’s performance, before adding, “He’s riding horses like that at 58; at 60 I can’t even ride a bicycle!”

Prominent owner Arun Chadha commented after Strydom’s win on Sean Tarry-trained Willow Express in Race 8: “Retaining Striker [as an ownership syndicate jockey] was one of the best things I’ve done in racing in a long time.”

But it was another former champion jockey who claimed the day’s honours. Lerena kicked off the meeting with three wins in a row – all with well-timed efforts – then landing the fifth race with a 2600m start-to-finish demolition on a striking chestnut called Poets Warrior.

‘Caught them napping’

Trainer Adam Azzie called this “a brilliant ride”, as the ever-personable Lerena thanked everyone and his cousin.

The 39-year-old jock noted that an earlier meeting, on Thursday at the Vaal racecourse, had been “very frustrating” as he drew a blank on a day when his wife Vicki was doing the TV presentation and hoping to interview a winning hubby.

One of Saturday’s TV interviewers was ex-jockey Johnny Geroudis, who commented that Lerena had “caught them napping” when winning Race 3 from the front on De Kock-trained Fireburst.

Geroudis later exclaimed that, back in the day, “Striker” Strydom had flown up to pip him “hundreds of times” on the line – in just the way he did on Willow Express.

However, the quote of the day was Striker’s, as he reflected on success breeding success for old hands like him and Gavin: “People see you riding winners and they realise you’re not that old anymore.”