Jack takes Johnston to another level

Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy

Johnston has celebrated plenty of success in the past decade, notably through his star mare Kenedna (Not A Single Doubt), named after his grandparents, who won the G1 Coolmore Legacy and G1 Doomben Cup during a brilliant career.

He and his wife Alise have also held shares in Group 1 winners such as Dissident, Palentino, Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo {Ire}), Tosen Stardom (Jpn) and Brave Smash (Jpn).

But the profile of Saturday's race, the connection with Explosive Jack's sire, and the company he celebrated it with put this success above anything Johnston has experienced before.

"It’s right up the top, definitely. To be able to share the race with your wife (Alise) alongside you, and to have a good bunch of mates there that are in the horse as well," he told TDN AusNZ.

"It was my first Derby runner, so to win it was great. Ciaron (Maher) and Dave (Eustace) and the team have done such a great job. It’s certainly a massive thrill."

It was a call from Peter Moody a couple of years ago that put Johnston on the road to Saturday's success after Moody had paid NZ$100,000 for a colt by Jakkalberry from the Novara Park draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.

"Peter Moody gave me a call, knowing that I had raced Jakkalberry with Darren Dance. He said he had got a colt through the Karaka Sale and would I be interested in purchasing him. I said, no problems. He was set to go to Darren Weir and when that all fell over, he ended up with Ciaron and Dave," he said.

"We divvied up a few percentages in him amongst friends. There are a few that got offered and declined. they might be a bit upset today."

Johnston has owned a few horses by Jakkalberry, who stood at Luigi Muollo's Novara Park for four seasons before his premature death in 2018,

"I had bought a mare in New Zealand, who had a Jakkalberry foal but unfortunately we lost him. But we raced another one, with Matt Cumani, who was a half to Explosive Jack's dam, Extra Explosive, He was called Gelignite Jack and had two wins before he was retired with a knee injury," he said.

"Jakkalberry was the first really good horse that we raced. When he ran third in the Melbourne Cup, we got the bug to race these horses."

A project in patience

Buying staying prospects out of the yearling sales can certainly test an owner's patience and six months ago, Johnston said he didn’t know when Explosive Jack was going to get to the races.

"It’s funny we bought another one with Ciaron from the same sale, by Redwood, Red Santa, and six months ago, he looked more progressive than Explosive Jack. Explosive Jack had only had his first start back in November," he said.

"From every run from there, he has just improved, improved and improved."

For reference, Red Santa (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) is still to break his maiden, although he resumes at Bendigo on Wednesday as a gelding and with Johnston holding high hopes.

Explosive Jack progressed from that Swan Hill maiden last November via a path that the Leyland Brothers would have been proud of.

He went to Goulburn and Kembla Grange before winning the Listed Tasmanian Derby in Hobart by 3.75l at his fourth start on the recommendation of John Allen. He then finished third in the G2 Alister Clark S. and then second in the St Leger Trial at Bendigo at his final run before heading to Sydney for the Derby.

"We had discussed the Australian Derby maybe two or three months ago, but he did need to improve a lot from what he was showing at home. To go from a Swan Hill maiden to Goulburn, Kembla, through Tassie, he's had a few kilometres in the back of the float," Johnston said.

A matter of inches

In a thrilling finish, Explosive Jack came from the back of the field on Saturday to just nail Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) and Lion's Roar (Contributer {Ire}) on the line.

"We watched it from maybe 10 metres prior to the line. We all jumped up and down like crazy people, thinking he got the bob on the line, then the cameraman went to Young Werther, and I thought, 'We might not have got this, the cameraman usually gets it right'. Thankfully in this case he didn’t," he said.

"It was a big run to come from second last on the turn and he had to go widest in the run. They didn't go that fast. We always thought he was the more superior stayer than most of them in the race which is how it has panned out."

The G1 South Australian Derby could now be on the radar for Explosive Jack providing he gets through the run.

Johnston is also daring to dream about the first Tuesday in November, where in 2012, he came so close to winning the Melbourne Cup with Explosive Jack's sire.

"If he can progress into the next preparation for the spring, a race like the Melbourne Cup, you would think he wouldn't be out of his depth. He just keeps improving, he’ll certainly stay the distance of the 3200 metres," he said.