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Picture: 123RF/CHRIS VAN LENNEP
Picture: 123RF/CHRIS VAN LENNEP

Jockey Warren Kennedy, who has some choice mounts at Turffontein on Saturday, was just eight years old when 24 people perished in the Hennenman air disaster in 1988. The country’s leading rider will only have felt the sadness of that accident as he got older.

The air crash, which claimed the lives of jockeys, trainers, officials and the crew, occurred on April 12. Kennedy was born on April 14 1980.

It is to racing’s credit that the accident has never been forgotten. There is always a memorial meeting at Turffontein at this time of the year — Saturday is the 34th anniversary.

Kennedy recently notched his 200th win of the season in his bid to better Anthony Delpech’s record of 334 victories. Backed by the powerful Paul Peter stable, he has a sporting chance of making racing history.

The 41-year-old will travel to the city track with the prospect of partnering four winners — Freed From Desire (fifth race), It’s About Time (fourth), Naval Guard (ninth) and Tuuletar (tenth).

Without question, Freed from Desire, a six-time winner, is the pick of the quartet. It’s doubtful the filly will start at Winning Form’s predicted odds of even money.

Freed From Desire’s winning sequence is great news for advocate and breeder Nigel Riley, who stands the filly’s sire Jackson at his Heversham Park Farm. The stallion enjoyed an outstanding career, winning three grade 1 races — the Daily News 2000, the Cape Derby and the Champions Cup.

The opposition to Freed From Desire in Saturday’s fifth race have not been setting the turf alight in recent outings — Celestial Love finished 10th of 14 in the Senor Santa and Thumbs Up beat one home in the Bohemia Handicap.

Among the lightweights, Caralluma was seriously disappointing in the Sycamore Sprint so perhaps Anne Boleyn — with Kaidan Brewer claiming his 1.5kg allowance — is the right one for the swinger with the favourite.

Considering he cost only R50,000 as a yearling, Naval Guard has proved a bargain and will be chasing the fifth win of his career when he takes on 11 opponents in the ninth race.

However, this will be no walk in the park for the son of Elusive Fort as the handicapper slapped him with an eight-point penalty for his most recent win.

As a result, all of My Master (Ryan Munger), Twin Turbo (Aldo Domeyer) and Secret Is Ours (Gavin Lerena) should be included in Pick 6 perms. The first-named boasts good runs behind both Zeus and Litigation.

Tuuletar, Kennedy’s mount in the last race on the card, is another “cheapie” and cost just R20,000 when purchased from Normandy Stud. The daughter of Judpot will have most to fear from Fasinada, better off at the weights, and the badly drawn Global Louise.

Alfie Dickerson has bred some useful horses down the years and Erico Verdonese’s four-year-old Dawn Of A New Era is one of them. Unfortunately for punters, the gelding has ended up in the second box in each of his last five starts.

Perhaps Dawn Of An Era will notch that overdue second win in the seventh race, but the sequence looks likely to continue if Calibre Crest builds on last month’s impressive maiden win.

* The Grand National — a race in which I usually give my money to my friendly bookie and he keeps it — takes place at 6.15pm  (SA Time) on Saturday.

It’s a race every racing fan likes to have a stab at and my choice this year is Escaria Ten, a 12-1 chance in the ante-post market and one of eight runners from the stable of Gordon Elliott.

The fitting of blinkers stoked Escaria Ten into action in the Bobbyjo Chase at Leopardstown in February when he was beaten a nose by Any Second Now. That horse is the fancy of many pundits.

This column’s National short-list for those trying to catch the trifecta includes Enjoy D’Allen, Fiddlerontheroof, Kildisart and Delta Work.

The roof will come off the Aintree stand if Rachael Blackmore wins again on Minella Times, but that looks unlikely given his poor recent form.

SELECTIONS

1st Race: (6) Rimaah (1) A Colourful Past (10) Tried And True (9) Treaty

2nd Race: (1) Outofthedarkness (4) Sound Of Hounds (2) Whafeef (6) Another Level

3rd Race: (1) Irfaans Boy (5) Imposing Angel (3) Drohiere (6) Insatiable

4th Race: (7) Goliath Heron (2) Quantum King (6) It’s About Time (5) Retallick

5th Race: (1) Freed From Desire (8) Anne Boleyn (2) Celestial Love (4) May Queen

6th Race: (5) Spiritofthegroove (1) Twice As Splendid (2) Corvette Captain (4) Paityns Pride

7th Race: (4) Calibre Crest (3) Dawn Of A New Era (6) King Arthur (2) Let There Be Light

8th Race: (3) Saragon (5) Castle Durrow (8) Franklin (9) Tinder Dry

9th Race: (9) Naval Guard (6) My Master (10) Secret Is Ours (2) Twin Turbo

10th Race: (5) Tuuletar (3) Global Louise (8) Fasinada (7) Kind Judy

GRAND NATIONAL

1 Escaria Ten

2 Any Second Now

3 Fiddlerontheroof

4 Kidisart

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