The rescheduling of the Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1200m) to Te Rapa on Saturday has worked in favour of Johny Johny (NZ) (Charm Spirit) on two fronts.
Originally to have been contested at Rotorua last weekend, that meeting was abandoned after four races due to the unsafe nature of the track and subsequently added to the card at the Hamilton fixture.
The extra week has benefitted the Tim and Margaret Carter-trained Johny Johny, who is also a proven sprinting force at Te Rapa.
“We’ve got no complaints at all, the only complaint we had was that he had missed a few days work preparing for Rotorua but we’ve worked around that,” Margaret Carter said.
“It was just a minor issue and he’s freshened up a lot after missing the original race. He had two rest days and then they didn’t run at Rotorua so he had three days off.
“He was awfully fresh on Monday, and still is, but that’s alright as he goes well fresh.”
The son of Charm Spirit proved that point in emphatic fashion when he resumed last month over Saturday’s course and distance and accounted for subsequent winner Sacred Satono (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) and Group winner Bonny Lass (NZ) (Super Easy) over 1200m.
“Touch wood, he’s never let us down and we’re sure he’ll race honestly again,” Carter said.
Johny Johny will be ridden by Jim Chung, who can’t bring his 3kg claim into play in the Sweynesse but connections have stuck with the apprentice who has partnered the six-year-old to his last two victories.
Future plans for the gelding have yet to be confirmed, but a continuation of his form is likely may see the bar raised with the Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1200m) on the radar.
“We’ll get this race done and then look and see what’s ahead, we’ll probably look at it but we’ll get this one out of the way first and see how he is,” Carter said.
His speed and class aside, Johny Johny is also proven on all types of footing with winning form on heavy going and on top of the ground.
“He’s quite versatile and showed us he can run on most tracks, he doesn’t seem to mind anything and he’s won at Ellerslie on a Good 3 before,” Carter said.
The stable is in good form and was buoyed by the maiden success of Elton Rocks (NZ) (Proisir) at Tauranga on Wednesday.
“He deserved that the little chap, we were very proud of him,” Carter said.
The son of Proisir had put the writing on the wall at his previous appearance at the end of last month at Te Rapa where he had finished runner-up.
