The Group 3 Liverpool City Cup couldn’t have been scripted better for the bold striding Quackerjack. The chestnut gelding with the symmetrically perfect white blaze dislikes the slightest interruption in his races.
“Whether he leads or follows, he just loves to stride and establish his own rhythm,” says trainer Mark Newnham. “As long as he hasn’t been put off his game, you can be sure he’ll give it his best shot right to the line. It’s funny but the more work he does in a race, the harder he tries in the closing stages. Have a look at his run in The Gong.”
Quackerjack is the kind of racehorse every trainer would like to have in the stable. “He enjoys his work and his racing, he’s not a moment’s trouble at home or at the races and can’t wait to get his head into the feed bin,” says Mark. “He’s a bit of a loner however and doesn’t fancy too much mollycoddling. Once his work’s done he prefers to be left alone,”
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Quackerjack loves a fight! He grabbed Vegadaze on the line to win the Liverpool City Cup.
He wasn’t always the model horse he is today. As a colt he suffered mood swings and on occasions could get himself into quite a state. “You could pick him in the parade yard,” said Mark. “If he paraded OK he’d usually race well. If he had a meltdown he would race lengths below his best. He did manage to win a couple of 2YO races and one 3YO event at Randwick by a big space. He put in one of his ordinary ones in the Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington, after which we had him gelded immediately.”
Quackerjack resumed in the autumn of 2019 with a BM78 win on the Kenso track followed by a strong third to Military Zone and Trope in the Gr 3 Hawkesbury Guineas. Then followed another BM78 win at Randwick, an unplaced effort at Rosehill after which Mark made the call to “paddock” him again.
The gelding resumed as a spring four year old last year, with a first up third at Randwick after which he put together three cracking runs. He overcame a tough run to emphatically defeat Handle The Truth and Goodfella in the $200,000 Goulburn Cup, before contesting Kembla’s first $1 million race The Gong, and this was the run that signalled the improvement he’d made.
He began with his customary dash but it was obvious from the outset that Quackerjack was wide for the duration. Rachel King let him amble up steadily from the 1000m and settled three wide outside Jonker and Nicoletta. Mister Sea Wolf, who had enjoyed the softest of runs, nailed Quackerjack in the last stride but the honours of the race were clearly with the runner up.
It was now obvious to Mark that Quackerjack was a better horse when allowed to stride on the pace and he instructed Rachel King to go forward in the Villiers on December 13th. The gifted lightweight jockey allowed the chestnut to find his rhythm from a wide gate, before ambling to the lead on the first turn.
Quackerjack defied several challenges down the running before being clearly headed by the talented mare Invincible Gem 50 metres from home.
He dug deep to regain the lead right on the wire - a deserved and gallant victory in the historic Group 2 Xmas feature.
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Quackerjack was headed by Invincible Gem near the post but fought back to win the Villiers 14/12/2019.
He went for a well earned rest after those three outstanding performances, with his trainer already contemplating broader horizons come the autumn. Mark and his large group of owners couldn’t have wished for a better return than a courageous win in the Gr 3 Liverpool City Cup on Saturday, spotting 3.5kgs to the in form Vegadaze.
Mark recalls the circumstances under which he met Frank Mittiga, who manages the Quackerjack syndicate. “Frank had a well bred horse with Gai Waterhouse some years ago which happened to be a half brother to the multiple Group 1 winner Veandercross,” said Newnham. “He only had a couple of starts and I happened to ride him in both. Frank was philosophical when I told him the horse was absolutely useless. I think he appreciated an assessment which saved him a lot of money down the track.”
Frank Mittiga went away from racing for a while, but contacted Mark when he decided to get back into horse ownership. He asked the former jockey to find him a yearling for sensible money and actually joined him at the 2017 Magic Millions Sale.
Mark searched the catalogue for something with a strong pedigree by a reliable sire. “How could I have done better than a son of Not A Single Doubt who sadly had to be retired from stud duties last year, after a spectacular career,” said the trainer. “Our colt’s dam had won a couple of races and she was by the well performed and well related Ustinov, who was by Seeking The Gold from the champion mare Let’s Elope.”
Admittedly Mark had to go to $240,000 to secure the chestnut colt, which now looks great buying, alongside Quackerjack’s current bankroll of $900,000.
The four year old has been beautifully looked after by the talented Newnham, which explains a light workload of just nineteen starts for eight wins and four placings.
His next essay will be the Gr 2 Ajax Stakes (1500m) on March 14th the winner of which is exempt from the ballot for the Star Doncaster. “It’s the obvious way to go,” says the trainer. “He’s got only 51kgs in the big one, and Rachel King is already locked in.”
Josh Parr actually has first call on the Quackerjack ride whenever he’s able to meet weight requirements, but the brilliant King is always happy to fill in.
“She loves the horse and gets on famously with him as you’ve seen in the Goulburn Cup, The Gong and the Villiers,” said Mark.
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Rachel King was having her first ride on Quackerjack when the pair combined to win The Goulburn Cup 03/11/2019.
Quackerjack is a unique thoroughbred athlete. Apart from the attributes we’ve already outlined, he’s as sound as a bell. “He’s got legs like tree trunks”, was the quaint way in which Mark described one of his stable favourites.
At the moment the trainer is dividing his time between stables at Randwick and Warwick Farm which collectively house 65 horses. The Warwick Farm establishment is managed by James Ponsonby, a former successful harness racing trainer driver. “James is a thoroughly experienced horseman and does a great job looking after my out of town operation,” says Newnham.
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Mark Newnham with Lanciato after Newcastle Newmarket win 09/03/2018.
The Star Doncaster will highlight a mouth watering programme on Day 1 of The Championships on April 4th. Quackerjack won’t be hard to find when the big field heads up to the first turn. If not in front, he’ll be striding freely somewhere near the lead under the deft touch of his diminutive pilot Rachel King.
That dazzling white blaze will loom large at some stage in the straight. Win, lose or draw you can be sure he’ll be giving it his best shot right down to the wire.
(Banner image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Quackerjack and Vegadaze hit the line together in the Liverpool City Cup. Quackerjack won by a whisker.)