Racing: Feisty colt scores in spite of himself

You are never going to confuse the two runners the Moroney/Scott stable now have in the $150,000 Manawatu Sires Produce.

In the red corner you have Saturday's $150,000 Ford Diamond Stakes winner from Ellerslie, Jokers Wild.

And he's deliberately in the red corner because he's constantly on adrenaline red alert.

In the blue corner you've got The One, one of the most relaxed, professional youngsters imaginable, despite a lack of experience.

Jokers Wild got his Manawatu passport by winning on Saturday, but the volatile colt could just as easily have been heading today to the veterinarian's castration scalpel or the spelling paddock.

If trainers had a stable full of Jokers Wilds they'd gladly change careers to ditch digging.

He's a handful. It took two, including stable manager Paul Moroney, to lead the colt through the parade ring/birdcage part of the procedure.

And as he has done in many of his races, Jokers Wild switched on and off on Saturday to the point Michael Coleman had to ride him along hard before the home turn.

Jokers Wild drove through late to narrowly down the fillies Chant and Italia and take group one glory, but 30 seconds earlier Andrew Scott had already been planning the next stage of the 2-year-old's life.

"On the home turn he was going to become a gelding," said Scott.

"Remarkably, now he's going to become a stallion."

Scott was referring to the fact that group one winners with a pedigree like Jokers Wild have commercial futures at stud.

Paul Moroney said there was credit due to part-owner John Carter, who races the colt with Gary Christini and Barabara Paterson.

"Before he won at Matamata we were going to spell him, probably geld him and bring him back as a 3-year-old leaving the hood off and starting everything afresh.

"John said why not pull the hood off him and try him just the once so we don't die wondering.

"It worked - he won, we came here and he's done it again."

The stable had been concerned over Jokers Wild's temperament until Moroney spoke to representatives of breeding giant Coolmore Stud.

"The Coolmore boys said that if you haven't got a highly strung Storm Cat, you've got the wrong Storm Cat."

Storm Cat left Black Minnaloushe, sire of Jokers Wild.

Despite Jokers Wild being what Moroney calls a time-bomb, the colt has the energy to match and three weeks to recover from this race.

"Because of the way he is, he has two races every time he goes to the track, but he's a colt, he'll bounce back.

"He looks tough and he is tough."

Jokers Wild bears a striking resemblance to his damsire, Rory's Jester, who is also the damsire of Derby winner Wahid.

The One scored his first win in considerably lesser company on Derby day and did it in the manner of a horse heading right to the top.

The handsome O'Reilly colt sustained a sprint from a long way out, something only the best juveniles are capable of.

Chant showed her class and consistency in taking the $29,250 cheque for second on Saturday after chasing Naturo home at Matamata and southerner Italia at least got group one placing from her terrific effort to get so close from a horror wide barrier.

Joint favourite Solvini was only 1 1/2 lengths from the winner in sixth place after leading.

She fought rider Matthew Williamson for her head when he tried to restrain her in front 200m after the start.

"She'll be better in races where there is more pace on and she can trail," said co-trainer Stephen McKee.