Cover image courtesy of Michael McInally
By his own admission, Jamie Stumer – the owner and breeder of Jukebox’s maiden stakes winner Johnny Rocker – has plenty of people to thank.
Firstly, there’s respected horsewoman Justine Hales, who has worked for a number of top trainers, including Chris Waller, Ciaron Maher and Phillip Stokes.
Then, there’s Matthew Park, the owner of Symphony Lodge, a race education and pre-training business in Oakey, a rural town 20 minutes west of Toowoomba in South East Queensland.
And, finally, former Group 1-winning trainer Eden Petrie, and Barry Lockwood, a veteran, Group-winning trainer based out of Eagle Farm.
Jukebox | Standing at Aquis
Johnny Rocker’s journey begins with Hales, who is responsible for recommending he send his mare Margene (Magic Albert) to Jukebox.
Jukebox – a son of the great Snitzel – won three of his eight starts, including the G3 Vain S. in 2017, before commencing stud duties at Aquis Farm in Canungra, Queensland in 2018. His oldest progeny are 2-year-olds and he will stand at Aquis for $6600 (inc GST) in 2022.
“It was only out of pure coincidence we went to Jukebox… I can’t remember who we were going to send her (Margene) to; it was someone else, but he retired. I’m pretty good friends with Justine Hales and she was with Ciaron, running their pre-training operation… once Jukebox retired, I rang her and asked her what she thought of him and she said she thought he was a genuine Group 1 horse as a 2-year-old, so I thought, ‘That’s enough for me, we’ll send her there’,” Stumer told TDN AusNZ.
“....once Jukebox retired, I rang her (Justine Hales) and asked her what she thought of him and she said she thought he was a genuine Group 1 horse as a 2-year-old, so I thought, ‘That’s enough for me, we’ll send her (Margene) there’.” - Jamie Stumer
So, Margene had a date with Jukebox and the resultant foal, a chestnut colt, was born on October 5, 2019.
That’s where Park enters the frame.
“The original plan was to put him through the Ready2Run Sale last year. We gave him to Matthew Park at Symphony Lodge and he broke him in for us; he said, ‘If I was you, I wouldn’t put him through the Ready2Run Sale, you might get $40,000 - $80,000… on what he’s shown me, you’re going to win a hell of a lot more in prizemoney’. I spoke to the other owners and we decided we would keep him and race him,” Stumer explained.
And, now Petrie and Lockwood.
Johnny Rocker returning to scale after winning the Listed Oxlade S. at Eagle Farm | Image courtesy of Michael McInally
“We wanted to race him up here in Queensland, so we got him QTIS registered and I rang Eden Petrie, who used to train Albert (The Fat) for us, and asked him who he thought we should get to train him and he suggested Barry Lockwood. After the first time he galloped, Barry rang me… as an excited owner I asked if he won the gallop, to which Barry said, ‘He didn’t, but it doesn’t matter; he can run time and he can gallop, you’ve got yourself a good horse’,” Stumer said.
Stumer’s willingness to listen and take advice from those more experienced than him has paid dividends, with Johnny Rocker unbeaten through two starts.
Following an encouraging debut win on the polytrack at the Sunshine Coast last month, Johnny Rocker was sent to town to tackle the Listed Oxlade S. on Saturday. Sent out as a $20 hope, the colt crossed from his wide gate under Samantha Collett and was never headed, winning the $150,000 event by 1.5l.
“It was great. We were going to do a Stradbroke Day at the Northcliff Surf Club on Saturday, as when we planned it, we weren’t expecting Johnny to be running,” Stumer explained.
“I only went to the races for his race and then came back down to the Surf Club; we had a long lunch.”
A family affair
Johnny Rocker’s talent can be traced back to Albert The Fat (Magic Albert), a gelding that raced with great success between 2007-2013.
Raced by Stumer and partners, Albert The Fat earned $1.3 million, having won 11 of his 39 starts, including the G1 BTC Cup in 2010 and G1 Emirates S. the following year.
Stumer then purchased his three-quarter sister, Margene, directly from her breeder John Allen. Trained by Paul Messara, before having one start with Waller, she showed her share of ability, which ended prematurely due to injury after just seven starts (she won three of them).
Margene when racing | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Johnny Rocker is the fourth winner from as many foals from Margene, who sadly died last year from a snakebite.
“It was great; we’ve had the family for so long now… we bought Albert The Fat in 2006 and when he looked good, we bought his three-quarter sister, Margene. She showed a lot of promise, having seven starts for three wins and four placings. She had one run for Chris Waller at Canterbury on a Friday night and she won by 2l going away, and she broke the track record, but then bowed a tendon the following Tuesday, so unfortunately, we had to retire her,” Stumer commented.
What may have been
Stumer has been in the game long enough to know how difficult it is to get a winner, let alone one at black-type level.
And, while he’s certainly not complaining, and there’s no way to prove his theory, he suspects he could’ve enjoyed even more success, if he had his time over.
Jamie Stumer
Stumer said: “We could have had even more success, but we probably chose the wrong stallion; I had a share in Master Of Design, so we sent her to him twice; we could have got into I Am Invincible. And, then we had her booked to go to Dundeel, but switched to Scissor Kick, so we chose the wrong stallion a few times.”
A spring campaign beckons
Johnny Rocker will be aimed at the G1 Golden Rose at Rosehill Gardens on September 24. He may run in the Listed Tattersall’s Life Members S. at Eagle Farm (1400 metres) on Saturday week.
“He’s still an entire, so we’d obviously like to see him win a big race like Albert did and then maybe sell him to stud,” said Stumer.
