Old Man River Mark Khan keeps on rolling at the Vaal

What do you do when your champion jockey isn’t available? Rope in another champion, that’s what.

Trainer Paul Peter is without the services of his trusty partner, sometime champion jockey and current log leader Warren Kennedy, at the Vaal Classic meeting on Tuesday. So, five-time champion Mark Khan has stepped into the breach on the horses Kennedy might have been expected to ride.

Khan, 52, dubbed “Comeback King” and “Old Man River” by fans, has had several injury-enforced retirements from racing, but somehow always manages to fight his way back into the saddle – with a little help from the surgeons and physios. A natural lightweight with a mountain of experience, what trainer wouldn’t trust him on a horse?

Khan’s longest period on the sidelines was between 2010 and 2018, when he made a sensational return in his first ride back by winning the SA Derby at Turffontein on Hero’s Honour.

This time around, Khan is understandably picking rides carefully and not overdoing things. He brings his invaluable experience to work riding for a select group of trainers and has been landing some race winners as a result. This season he has six wins from 60 rides to his name, four of them for Peter.

The Peter-Khan team get going in Race 1, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m, with Set To Go, a colt who showed a lot of speed on debut a fortnight ago but had to settle for second place. Set To Go attracted betting support that day, so there’ll be a money-recovery factor at play.

In Race 3, a juvenile clash for fillies, Khan partners Peter’s newcomer Dame Twining, who has been installed as the ante-post favourite – with all that implies.

In Race 8, Naval Guard looks like the horse to beat. After he showed a few glimpses of promise in his first three races, Peter gave this son of Elusive Fort a long break and gelded him. That paid major dividends as he returned to action on New Year’s Day with a sparkling victory at Turffontein.

Anything like that authoritative showing should see him follow up – and give Old Man River cause to just keep on rolling.

SELECTIONS

1: 3 Set To Go, 8 Emirate Gina, 7 Vasilikos, 1Magic Tattoo

2: 3 Permesso Avanti, 4 Wokonda, 1 Tanzanite Queen, 6 Remember When

3: 3 Dame Twining, 2 Countess Danza, 9 Rose Velvet, 8 Powers That Be

4: 11 Allez Les Bleu, 2 Lulu’s Boy, 9 Mercer Girl, 10 Samoa

5: 1 Zimbaba, 2 Follow Me, 4 Juliet Tango, 5 Sister Light

6: 5 Oyster King, 7 Litigation, 8 Waqaas, 3 Set The Standard

7: 7 Eternity Ring, 1 Bold Fortune, 10 Opera Glass, 9 Only The Brave

8: 4 Naval Guard, 1 Timbavati River, 6 Light Of The Moon, 9 In The Game

Pick 6: 2,3,9 x 2,9,11 x 1,2 x 1,3,5,7,8 x 1,7,9,10 x 1,4,6,9,12 (R1800)PA: 3,4 x 2,3 x 11 x 1 x 5,7,8 x 1,7,10 x 1,4,6 (R108)