15 Years ago this month an unlikely hero emerged,  reeling off two Grade 1 sprints with contemptuous ease.

A couple of months later and the Lucky Houdalakis-trained three-year-old gelding made it three Grade 1s on the trot in even easier fashion.

The legendary son of Jet Master, J J The Jet Plane, had even been tried over 1800m earlier that season.

But, eventually it was discovered that sprinting was his game, despite being by Jet Master out of a Northern Guest mare who had won four times from 1400m to 1600m.

The sprint victories that season for the three-year-old with the Charlie Chaplin like front legs were: the Grade 2 Senor Santa Handicap over 1200m at The Vaal by 2,25 lengths carrying 52,5kg on March 24; the Grade 3 Man ‘O War Sprint for three-year-olds by 2,75 lengths carrying 60kg on April 12 at Turffontein; he then won the Grade 1 wfa Computaform Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein by 0,25 lengths on May 3; he then travelled to Scottsville and had to carry topweight as a three-year-old in the Grade 1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint on May 31, but that did not stop him winning by a contemptuous 2,25 lengths; in his final start that season on July 20 he won the Grade 1 wfa Mercury Sprint over 1200m at Clairwood by four lengths from subsequent sire Rebel King with the rest of the field spread out like the washing.

He was ridden by another legend, Piere “Striker” Strydom, in all of those races.

Piere still regards J J as the best he has ever ridden and said recently, ““He had good gatespeed and enough speed to be in touch and then had a kick. At the 600m or 500m when all the other horses were off the bit he would still be cruising.”

Lucky had to bid farewell to J J after the Mercury Sprint as he departed for a first stint overseas where he was to initially be trained by Mike de Kock.

He later returned to the Houdalakis yard seemingly a spent force, but a new even more incredible chapter was to be written.   

Forward wind three-and-a-half years from the first of his Mercury Sprint wins for the final couple of chapters of one of South Africa’s most loved ever thoroughbreds.

The live articles are published below.

J J The Jet Plane Achieves The Impossible In Hong Kong

Written on 13/12/2010.

J J The Jet Plane defied obstacles only a true champion can when winning the Grade 1 Hong Kong Sprint yesterday (12/12/2010) under a magnificent ride from another world beater, South Africa’s Piere “Striker” Strydom.

It was a South African moment all round as JJ, trained by South African Lucky Houdalakis, pipped Rocket Man, bought by Durban Bloodstock Agent Andy Williams in Australia for South African owner Fred Crabbia, trained by ex-pat South African Pat Shaw and ridden by South African Felix Coetzee.

Most critics thought Houdalakis and owners Coenie Strydom, Hennie du Preez and Thea Booyens were biting off more than they could chew when targeting him for this race, as he faced a rigorous journey thanks to the unfair international restrictions placed on South African horses travelling abroad.

J J had already made history by being the only horse to ever return to South Africa and win a Grade 1.

After a successful campaign in Dubai and the UK with Mike de Kock he returned to South Africa and, trained by Houdalakis again, ran in just two races, the Grade 1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint and the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint, both of which he won easily.

He then departed for Hong Kong, much to the surprise of astute pundits, who believed it to be mission impossible.

His journey started on August 16 when he entered the Western Cape’s African Horse Sickness Free Zone and he only arrived in Hong Kong on November 27, a handful of days before the big race.

This would therefore be up with the greatest training feats in the history of South African racing and that it was achieved by the humble Houdalakis, a former jockey who only took out his training license in April 2006, makes it a fairytale story.

J J, despite being by South Africa’s Champion sire, Jet Master had humble beginnings.

He was ignored by experts at the sales due to his front legs, which turn out badly.

However, Du Preez decided to take the plunge because of his pedigree.

He secured him for R70,000 before Houdalakis had even clapped eyes on him.

J J had what turned out to be a great draw of eight yesterday in the 1200m race around the turn on the tight Sha Tin Racecourse.

The pacemaker Dim Sum was just one stall wide of him, while the speedy Rocket Man was just two inside of him.

Strydom was able to settle J J one wide in fourth place behind the cracking pace set by Dim Sum with Ultra Fantasy and Rocket Man next best.

Turning for home Rocket Man angled out and with J J joining him on his outside an almighty duel ensued.

Rocket Man had the edge until the final stride. Strydom produced his famous magic in the finish, extracting a final lunge that saw him just get his nose in front.

It was a great moment for South African racing and was sure to have been greeted with cheers in England too, where J J, partly due to his children’s storybook name, had made a big impact and became one of the most popular horses in training.

Houdalakis rode very successfully in Macau for three seasons from 1997 to 2000 and it is fitting that the pinnacle of his career to date took place just over the water in Hong Kong. 

JJ’S ON A JET PLANE TO DUBAI

JJ THE JET PLANE pulled up very well after his incredible win in the Grade 1 Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin on Sunday and will board an aeroplane today for Dubai. Natalie Houdalakis, wife of J J’s trainer Lucky Houdalakis, said he was sound, looked good and had eaten up.

She revealed JJ had been invited to the Dubai Carnival and would likely get an invite to run in the Grade 1 Golden Shaheen on World Cup night.

The Golden Shaheen is run on a Tapeta surface over 1 200m.

She reckoned Lucky would probably give him one run to see how he handled the surface. Alternatively there is the Grade 2 Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup night over 1 000m on turf.

Asked whether Royal Ascot would once again be on the cards, she said his program is unknown, they would take it one race at a time, but she felt the big sprint race in Singapore was a more likely route.

Natalie said that after all the team had been through during the 90-odd day journey to get J J to Hong Kong, they had just hoped they would get a good draw and luck in the running.

“We got more than we asked for,” she continued. “Piere (Strydom) said everything went just perfectly in the race. The way he had seen it in his mind beforehand was exactly how it panned out.

“He rode a brilliant race. He didn’t panic at any stage. He just sat behind Rocket Man, reeled him in and pressed the button at exactly the right time.”

J J’s journey from South Africa began when he entered the Western Cape’s African Horse Sickness Free Zone on August 16 and it ended when he landed in Hong Kong on November 27.

They were able to keep him ticking over on the training tracks provided by the Kenilworth Quarantine Station and also by another Quarantine Station just outside of Newmarket in the UK. However, they had only had about 15 days to get him race ready in Hong Kong.

It will go down as one of the great training feats in South African history.

Natalie said the feeling of having won the race was “just absolutely unbelievable”.

After the race the connections gathered on the presentation podium where they stood in a long line with other dignitaries in front of the massive crowd. “When they started playing the South African National anthem, that was the moment it hit us what we had achieved,” she said.

“I think all of us began breaking down in tears!”

She said they had been inundated with well wishes from South Africa.

Mike de Kock was one of the first to phone Lucky. “He is a true gentleman,” said Natalie. “Despite what might have happened between him and the owners, he and Lucky have always remained friends.”

Natalie concluded by saying, “J J has proved he is a top notch sprinter. He is an amazing horse and is really special.”

*JJ went on to win two races in Dubai in 2011, including the Group 2 Al Quoz Sprint, the same race he had won two years earlier with Mike de Kock when it was a Group 3. He was then laid off for nine months with a suspensory ligament injury and did not find his best in three subsequent runs in 2012. He retired the winner of 14 races in 26 starts including six Grade 1s.

He has lived in luxury since his retirement on a farm in the KZN Midlands and has been visited often by the Houdalakis family.