Flying Jonker has history against him
JONKER is out to build on a relatively poor record for Keith Noud Handicap winners when he runs the favourite in the Group 3 George Moore Stakes at Doomben on Saturday.
Since the Noud was elevated to a stakes race in 2011, five winners have run in the George Moore Stakes (1200m) at their next start.
Monsieur Gustave (2017) is the only horse that’s been able to complete the double.
Before him, Time To Plunder was seventh in 2014 and Too Good To Refuse fifth in 2016.
Jonker made it three Noud wins in succession for trainer Tony Gollan.
The stable’s previous two Noud winners found one better in the George Moore; Most Important was second to stablemate I’m A Rippa in 2018 and last year Outback Barbie failed by the narrowest of margins to gun down Chapter And Verse.
It’s fair to say few winners of the Keith Noud won with
the same authority as Jonker did on November 14.
He broke Takeover Target’s long-standing Doomben 1200m course record and had 4½ lengths to spare over his rivals on the line.
Such was the dominance of the performance, the Weight-For-Age Performance ratings of respected analyst Daniel O’Sullivan has only Rothfire turning in a better performance on a Queensland track this year.
Now the question is whether Jonker can maintain the rage, given it had been
three years since his previous win.
Gollan is placing a lot of credence in the 21 days between runs, noting it allows Jonker every chance to recover from what should have been a tough run.
The trainer said you never know until race day but from the signs he’s seen around the stable, Jonker took no harm from the performance.
“He never left an oat when he came home. He felt a happy, bright horse after it,” he said.
“If anything, he feels better
(now than before the fresh run).”
Jockey Jim Byrne saw no reason for any concerns after teaming with Jonker in a Doomben course-proper gallop on Tuesday.
“When they come out and break track records, they tend to get a bit jarred, deflated, but my first thoughts when I jumped on his back, he gave me no different feel,” Byrne said.
“If there is a concern, he hasn’t shown it to me from (trackwork) … he’s a pretty laid-back sort of customer.”