LA’s 2019 Karaka draft always had a little bit of the X factor and on Saturday the draft recorded its fifth stakes winner and eighth individual stakes performer when the Christopher Grace (pictured with wife Susanna) bred Johny Johny (Charm Spirit-Galway by Savabeel) took out the 1200m Listed Turf Power Sprint at Hastings, but unlike many the other successful graduates, the latest black type winner was far from a popular horse at sale time.
Whether it was the “princess” Baaqyah, who strutted around Karaka and caught the eye of Shadwell who bought her for $500k, or the almost perfect physical Bonham (Per Incanto), LA’s class of 2019 always promised plenty, helped by the fact that it represented the best line up yet of Per Incanto yearlings off the back of his service fee increase.
The other four stakes winners are Group 1 winner Bonham, dual Sydney stakes winner Mightybeel, Group 3 winner Whimsical and last weeks Listed Manawatu Breeders Stakes victor Charm Star. In addition, the 2000 Guineas runner-up Bourbonaire, Group 3 Australian runner-up Baaqyah and Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes second place getter Victorem were also in LA’s draft that year.
Sometimes though it’s not about the perfect physical specimen, often the heart of a lion is found in the least expected places and while Johny Johny’s smaller stature saw him passed in shy of his $50,000 reserve – he sold later that year for $12,500 at the RTR Sale – the diminutive four-year-old showed again on Saturday that it’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog when he led all the way and fought tenaciously to win his fifth race from just eight career starts.
Perhaps if Johny Johny continues to progress he could take on “Frodo”, wouldn’t that be a race worth watching.
