GOING BONKERS FOR JONKERS

QUEENSLANDERS will have two local stars to cheer for in Saturday’s Premiere Stakes in Sydney, with Tony Gollan conjuring an interstate switch with Jonker and booking Nash Rawiller to ride.

Jonker, who failed when resuming as favourite down the Flemington straight in the Bobbie Lewis Quality, will join Queensland Group 1 star and The Everest contender Rothfire in taking his place in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes.

Vets found a couple of minor issues with Jonker after the Flemington failure but Gollan has since given the sprinter a clean bill of health.

Jonker was Group 1 placed in The Galaxy and the Kingsford-Smith Cup earlier this year and Gollan, Queensland’s top trainer, is putting his first-up failure down to perhaps not enjoying the Flemington straight.

“His first-up run caught me unawares, but I guess that is the risk you always take with a straight race,” Gollan said.

“I don’t want to go down the straight again with him after what happened — he performed well below where his form has been at. “I was the happiest before he went away, but because the Flemington race was a straight race, then maybe that was the issue.”