Jonker set to follow The Mission as prolific first season stallion in Queensland

By Jordan Gerrans

After racing across five seasons at an elite level, Aquis’ Jonathan Davies feels Group 1 champion Jonker is well-placed to be a successful stallion in the Sunshine State.

The first-season stallion has settled into life perfectly at Aquis’ Canungra operation, as the popular sprinter was able to be let down for a few months and did so much better than the team expected.

The son of Spirit Of Boom’s racing career was highlighted by his famous Manikato Stakes triumph in late 2021 for the powerful Tony Gollan barn.

After winning on debut at Newcastle in December 2017, Jonker raced on until March 2022, which Davies – who is Aquis’ Director of Sales – believes underlines the changing landscape of the breeding game.

“It is definitely a positive when a horse can race on and can show that they are tough and sound,” Davies said.

“He was competitive at a high level all the way through his career.

“I think breeding is going away from those horses that just performed at two years of age, I think it is becoming more and more important that these horses can show that they had great longevity on the track.

“It is also a great advantage that when they do kick off their stallion careers, we can see that with a horse like Jonker that he is a lot more settled when he is covering his mares.

“His fertility is better than some young horses that are rushed off the track and are still growing themselves when they are covering their first mares.”

As Jonker is a mature and seasoned race horse, he has moved into his second venture with ease.

“Jonker has settled in really well since he joined us at Aquis,” Davies said.

“He is a lovely stallion and a great natured horse, just like his sire Spirit Of Boom.

“In the barn he is the ultimate professional, he covers his mares with great zest since he started covering mares and his fertility levels has been exceptional since he started covering mares.

“We have been overwhelmed with the support he has received so far.”

It has been a busy and fruitful period for the Aquis operation on the Gold Coast after another of their recent acquisitions – The Mission – was crowned the Champion First Season Stallion on Sunday night at the 2022 TAB Queensland Thoroughbred Awards in Brisbane.

Racing Queensland’s Ownership Manager Sophie Swain says it was a deserved accolade after The Mission produced 10 winners from just 20 starters.

“Justin Fung is quite visionary with his stallion selections, I believe Queensland benefits significantly to have Aquis’ support,” Swain said.

Like The Mission was as a first season stallion last campaign, Davies anticipates Jonker has every chance to follow suit.

According to Davies, Jonker is covering “exceptional mares” from the Hunter Valley in NSW, Victoria and Queensland.

“He is probably going to receive one of the best books of mares that any first season stallion in Queensland has ever covered,” Davies said.

“He is a massive coup for us and a horse we had our sights on for quite a long time.

“We have been following him the whole way through and he showed everything we look for in a stallion, he had exceptional speed and broke champion sprinter Takeover Target’s 15-year-old track record as well as being a dominant winner of the Manikato Stakes.

“He was also the fastest ever male to win the Manikato Stakes.”

There are shareholders who raced Jonker throughout his $2,075,660 stakes earning career as a race horse who have stayed with him and are supporting him throughout his breeding ventures.

Widely regarded as the best in the nation, QTIS provides bonuses for Queensland-bred horses who can prevail in the Sunshine State.

Jonker and The Mission are set to be key players in the QTIS landscape for many years to come.

“It is the best bonus scheme in Australia, it rewards Queensland owners and breeders with its diversity," Swain said of the QTIS scheme.

“It does not just support two and three year old’s; the scheme celebrates horses that finish first, second or third in QTIS races irrespective of age.

“The QTIS scheme is something that is just growing we need to support and champion our Queensland-bred horses.”

The Mission’s first season exploits were on show on the big stage of Magic Millions day earlier this year when Perfect Mission and Mishani Warfare both finished inside the top five in the $2,000,000 show-piece race.

“For The Mission to run third in the first season sire table in Australia for both winners and prize money, it was an exceptional effort,” Swain said.

Following on from his first seasons efforts, Davies thinks The Missions popularity will just grow into the future.

“He has definitely been well received this season and he will cover a very nice book of mares as well,” Davies said.