Racing: Smart Captain Kurt impresses with stylish victory

Equine temperament - it can't be begged, bought, borrowed or stolen.

Captain Kurt needed all of it to score a stylish juvenile win at Te Rapa on Saturday and it will follow him through to stakes prominence as a 3-year-old.

Captain Kurt came from an impossible outside barrier draw to win - impressive enough - but the way he relaxed under rider Noel Harris when asked mid-race, then easily sprinted past the leaders in the closing stages, had Guineas written all over it.

"This is a smart horse," said Noel Harris. The Matamata jockey does not ride trackwork, but made an exception when asked by the connections of Captain Kurt to provide an opinion on the eve of a debut run at Trentham a couple of months ago.

"I told them they had a very smart horse, but he got hurt and didn't go to Trentham," said Harris "When he finally got to the races at Matamata he was a bit shinsore, but still did well for second to Sea Saint."

Jacquart finished third in that race and when Jacquart won Race 1 on Saturday, Harris knew Captain Kurt was a big winning chance in the following event.

Matamata vet Jim Marks bought the Volksraad youngster for $140,000 at the Ready To Run sale and pulled in partners, including Cambridge Jockey Club president Bruce Harvey and his wife Maureen, who got the perfect present at their own meeting.

"When he won his barrier trial three agents rang wanting to buy him, but I didn't want them to put a price on him because I don't want to sell him," said Marks. "They knew what I paid for him, so they must have been prepared to pay good money."

Co-trainer Vanessa Hillis said Captain Kurt will be aimed at the Foal Stakes at Ellerslie and will then almost certainly be spelled.

Rod Baulcomb was struggling with what to buy wife Anne for her birthday in June last year.

Trainer John Wheeler offered two shares in the youngster that was to become Rokocoko to fill the void.

"I went to turn it down because Anne has never been interested in horses."

Anne Baulcomb is now as keen on horse racing as her husband, possibly keener. She took the two shares, produced the name Rokocoko and was at Te Rapa to see Jacquart win in her husband's ownership. She will also be at Doomben in Brisbane on Saturday to see Rokocoko make his Australian debut.

Yes, her horse is named after Joe Rokocoko. "I'm a rugby fan. It's lovely watching those big strong boys running around - I can say that now at my age, can't I?"

John Wheeler asked the flying winger for permission to name the horse, which was provided when Wheeler told him it was: "big, black and fast."

Jacquart, named after a champagne, cost $140,000 as a yearling. By Zabeel, Jacquart was bred by the Pike family, who raced his mother She Wishes.

"She ran second to Savannah Success in a stakes race at Avondale then bled after a stakes third at Randwick," said Tony Pike.

Trainer Roger James has an opinion of Jacquart and should have no problem placing him as a 3-year-old. "He's a Guineas-type horse," predicts James.