Jonker is the first Gr1 winner for Spirit Of Boom winning Friday night’s Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.
Jonker broke fast and quickly settled on the lead, clear into the home straight and then doing enough to hold the late rally from Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) with Ingratiating (Frosted) running on for third.
It is the fifth win from 28 starts for the Tony Gollan-trained Jonker, previously the winner of the L.R. Keith Noud Handicap in Brisbane and the R.L. Magic Millions 2YO Classic at Wyong and twice Gr.1-placed and with earnings now exceeding $2m.
Jonker is inbred 4×3 to Danehill and his dam is 4×4 to the mare Eight Carat, the fourth dam of Jonker’s broodmare sire Kempinsky (Danehill) and Jonker’s fifth dam.
Jonker emulates Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo) who also won both his Gr.1 races as a six-year-old and is advertised at $33,000 at Eureka Stud in Queensland in 2021.
Spirit Of Boom has enjoyed good success with mares carrying Danehill. He has L.R. winners Ef Troop and Get In The Spirit out of mares by Exceed And Excel (Danehill), L.R. winner Outback Barbie with Flying Spur (Danehill) as her maternal grandsire and L.R. winner Frangipani Moon out of a mare by Conatus (Danehill).
Jonker’s dam Hearts And Arrows a winning half-sister to dual Gr.3 Alison Stakes at Ellerslie and Gr.1 Zabeel Classic second Fiscal Fantasy (Skilled) and to Gr.3 C S Hayes Stakes at Flemington winner Fair Trade (Danewin).
The granddam Villa Igea (Papal Power) won in Sydney and a sister to Catecombe, the dam of Gr.3 Hobartville and Challenge Stakes winner Impaler (Dracula).
Much further back Jonker descends from Mumtaz Mahal.