“I feel a real affinity with Pukekohe because it is similar to a lot of the tracks I used to ride on back home, with its longer straight,” Kennedy told the Weekend Herald.
“Because I learned to ride on tracks like that I feel most comfortable on them. I am getting used to some of the smaller straight tracks here but my muscle memory kicks in at Pukekohe.”
Kennedy says he and his family are loving New Zealand since being helped by Auckland businessman Daniel Nakhle and former jockey Donavan Mansour to move here, with his talent soon obvious and trainers like Peter Williams, Lance Noble, the James/Wellwood stable and Mark Walker repeatedly booking him.
“So many people have helped us, and owners like Brendan and Jo Lindsay have been very supportive, it has been quite overwhelming.”
South Africa’s famed apprentice academy has long been envied but Kennedy’s riding style is of his own making, with far more upper body movement than most New Zealand jockeys.
“The way we are taught to ride over there is keeping the bottom half of your body still and use the top half to extend the horses stride, pushing up their neck,” explains Kennedy.
“If I can get them adding a little extra to their stride, even a millimetre every stride, over the last 400m that could be the nose that wins the race.
“It looks different to most of the jockeys here but I always say to young apprentices, eventually you need to find what works for you.”
What works for Kennedy is riding Aquacade, who he has ridden five times for four wins, and the good news for favourite backers in today’s $500,000 Auckland Cup is she is getting even better.
“She has grown up so much this campaign. I initially didn’t think she would handle 3200m but she relaxes so well I think she gets every chance to stay the 3200m this week.”
Aquacade thrashed her Avondale Cup opponents over 2400m three weeks ago and they didn’t get any closer to her after the post so she should handle the 3200m, especially as Kennedy may ride her cold and stalk his key rivals before doing his Pukekohe pounce.
While Ladies Man, Dionysus, Lincoln King and Hinepara can win, Aquacade’s 53kgs coupled with Kennedy’s skills males her the one to beat.
Kennedy will ride Defibrillate in today’s Group 1 Bonecrusher Stakes in which he has to fight off the younger, faster females in Campionessa, La Crique and Prowess, with the latter the one to beat with her combination of class and a low weight.
In the $320,000 Group 1 Stakes, Tokyo Tycoon will try to become the first to win the Karaka Million, a Group 1 and remain unbeaten for an entire juvenile season. Ethereal Star looks his greatest danger.