Queensland jockey Jim Byrne booked for Jonker in Melbourne Group 1 mission

Tony Gollan has turned to a fellow Queenslander in a bid to make it consecutive Melbourne Group 1 victories with sprinter Jonker.

Jonker ridden by Daniel Moor wins the Manikato Stakes. Picture: Michael Klein.

Tony Gollan reckons jockey Jim Byrne knows Jonker like the back of his hand and that’s what he is banking on for the Queensland sprinter to score consecutive Group 1 wins in Melbourne.

Daniel Moor rode Jonker to win the Manikato Stakes at The Valley in October but with Moor taking up a riding contract in Hong Kong, Gollan has turned to Brisbane jockey Byrne for the first-up tilt at the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield on February 26.

How good JONKER and @daniel_moor 🙌

Your 2021 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes winner #LEGENDARY

Congratulations @tonygollan 🏇

pic.twitter.com/XrV5Tkhsh8

— Cox Plate Carnival (@CoxPlate) October 22, 2021

Byrne has ridden Jonker four times, including to a Listed victory and a $1 million Magic Millions Sprint win as well as finishing runner-up behind Gollan stablemate Vega One in last year’s Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup at Eagle Farm.

“With Buckets (Moor) being in Hong Kong, we didn’t really have an unencumbered rider to use (for the Oakleigh Plate) and the owners were pretty keen to use Jim if he wanted to go down because he gets on well with the horse,” Gollan said.

“There were some discussions with other jockeys but it was just getting a little bit messy and we were keen to lock someone in, and probably someone who had done the job on this horse before.

“Jonker jumped out really well recently and he will have a trial on Tuesday week and then go straight to the Oakleigh Plate after that.

“The only thing we have to worry about is how we will get Jonker to Melbourne, the flight situation is still a bit of a mess, whether we fly him down or float him down via Sydney I’m not quite sure yet.”

Jim Byrne will ride Jonker in the Oakleigh Plate. Picture: Nev Madsen.

TAB fixed odds has Jonker on the fourth line of Oakleigh Plate betting at $13 in a market which has unbeaten sprinter Marabi, the winner of six from six, as the $2.40 favourite.

Byrne will be looking to bounce back with a bang after a frustrating day at Doomben on Saturday where four of his rides finished second and he ended up in the stewards’ room explaining his ride on third-placed Gollan galloper Palladas.

Byrne was quick to put up his hand and accept blame for the losing ride on hot favourite Palladas when he got stuck behind horses and then got unbalanced while trying to force a marginal run.

Meanwhile, Gollan will head to Sydney with star mare Isotope aiming for another victory in the first Group 1 race the trainer won in his career.

In 2012, Gollan scored his maiden Group 1 victory with Temple Of Boom in The Galaxy and a decade later he will try to win the same race with Isotope.

Returning from a near-death colic attack, Isotope showed her star power when winning the rich Magic Millions Snippets in exhilarating fashion on the Gold Coast last month.

Isotope clears out with the 2022 Magic Millions Snippets. Picture: Grant Peters-Trackside Photography.

“Isotope will have two jumpouts and be spot-on for The Galaxy (at Rosehill on March 19),” Gollan said.

“I’ve always been convinced she is a Group 1 horse, I didn’t know whether I should take her out in trip or whether we kept her at the sprint trips but I’m pretty comfortable with going to The Galaxy (over 1100m).

“We sort of had Kerrin McEvoy booked but there been a bit of a change there so we have no rider booked at the moment.”

TAB has Isotope as the $5 favourite for The Galaxy.

Originally published as Queensland jockey Jim Byrne booked for Jonker in Melbourne Group 1 mission