JOCKEY Piere Strydom showed his class and ice-cool big-race temperament when notching up his 5,000th career victory aboard easy winner Act Of War in the Selangor Cup (Grade 2) over 1600m at Kenilworth on Saturday, writes NICCI GARNER of Racing Express.

A tearful and relieved Strydom said: “Finally! I try not to put myself under pressure, but I’ve had the journalists, my fiancé Claudia and kids, every meeting, hoping I was going to make it.”

When asked whether he thought he could achieve such a feat when he first started out, he said: “No, I just wanted to do well, well enough that I could set myself goals – you start off with champion apprentice and hope it goes from there.

“I have to thank every single trainer and owner who has supported me. I’ve been hired and fired so many times, but I still thank you because if I missed out on even one of your rides I wouldn’t be here at 5,000. So, thank you so much. And I hope I can keep going for a while longer.”

Winning owner Markus Jooste said: “Isn’t it fantastic to have a sportsman like this in our country – to have achieved what he has achieved. It’s unbelievable. Our country is really privileged to have sportsmen of this calibre. He would have achieved success in any country in the world.”