The mastery of Piere Strydom dominated the R600 000 Gr2 Daisy Guineas at Greyville on Sunday as the multiple champion jockey rounded off a great feature weekend for Mike de Kock and Sheikh Hamdan.
Piere Strydom and Janoobi coast to a good win
Strydom repeated his SA Guineas winning feat of 4 March, which also celebrated the De Kock stable’s 3000th winner on the Silvano colt Janoobi in much the same end-to-end style.
The Gauteng based Janoobi’s only previous away run had been a creditable fourth behind William Longsword in the CTS Mile on Sun Met day and he bounced back well here in class company after failing to stay the 1800m of the SA Classic last time.
Strydom said he had always felt that Janoobi would enjoy Greyville and when he saw him draw barrier gate 1 he phoned for the ride.
It’s a call that Matthew de Kock will be happy he took.
With the colt pulling and throwing his head about all the way round, Strydom made his move at the top of the Greyville straight.
He already had a smart field of his contemporaries under serious pressure and the 5-1 shot galloped on powerfully and went on best to hold the persistent grey Secret Captain by 1,75 lengths in a time of 95,27 secs.
Piere Strydom – gets on well with Janoobi
Zodiac Ruler was able to hold third ahead of his more fancied stablemate Copper Force.
The big ticket Horizon appeared to have every chance but was run off his feet and could only manage a 4,80 length seventh.
Strydom admitted afterwards that he was surprised when Janoobi kicked in the straight.
“He pulled me the whole way and never relaxed. But he has lots of class and he is talented.I appreciate the loyalty shown by the De Kocks in keeping me on,” he added.
Strydom made a reference to the false rail hemming in a horse drawn at 1. We thought that had been resolved after the incident of a few Sundays ago.
A R1,2 million Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 graduate, Janoobi has won 5 races with 2 places from 11 starts for stakes of R1 982 500.
Bred by Maine Chance Farms, he is by Silvano out of the well related unraced Rakeen mare, Shasta Daisy.
Questioned by the post-race interviewer as to whether Janoobi would stay the Vodacom Durban July trip, Strydom unhesitatingly said ‘no’.
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Gr2 Daisy Guineas (SAf-Gr2)
Greyville, South Africa, May 7, R600k, 1600m, turf, good, 1.35.27
1 – JANOOBI (SAF), 60.0, c 3, Silvano (GER) – Shasta Daisy (SAF) by Rakeen (USA). Owner Sheikh 2 Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum; Breeder Maine Chance; trainer MF de Kock; jockey P Strydom
2 – Secret Captain (SAF), 60.0, gr c 3, Captain Al (SAF) – Mystic Spring (IRE) by Royal Academy (USA)
3 – Zodiac Ruler (AUS), 60.0, b g 3, Zoffany (IRE) – Sybarite (AUS) by Last Tycoon (IRE)
Margins: 1.75, 0.15, 0.10
