He was lightly raced, but a slick sprinter that nailed it in the 1985 Golden Slipper

Rory's Jester was a notable Australian Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A chestnut son of Crown Jester from Rory's Rocket (GB) by Roan Rocket, he was trained by Colin Hayes. He was bred in South Australia for Mr and Mrs L. Outtrim and raced by them in partnership with G.D and L.A. Bigbell and Betty Hayes, wife of the horse's trainer Colin Hayes. Prepared on the Hayes established Lindsay Park property at Angaston, Rory's Jester raced 17 times for seven wins, six seconds and the title of Champion 2YO. Some of his major race victories include the 1985 STC Golden Slipper Stakes ridden by Ron Quinton. The jockey revealed he only picked up the ride on Rory's Jester on the Tuesday before the Golden Slipper after regular jockey Darren Gauci had been injured in a race fall. Rory's Jester was a very fast horse and Colin Hayes told Quinton to use his speed. He was third on the fence and the only Slipper horse he rode where he jumped handy because of his brilliant, fleet footed ability to speed out of the gates.

Rory's Jester also won the Pago Pago Stakes, the SAJC Irwin Stakes and finished 2nd to Hula Chief in the 1986 VRC Lightning Stakes. Predominantly a speed horse that could run close to the pace, he won races over sprint distances ranging predominantly from 1000m to 1200m.

Sold as a sire to astute international breeding and racing identity, Armenian Souran Vanian, Rory's Jester became the foundation sire on a stud farm he established under the name of Manado along the Goulburn river near Sandy Hollow in the Hunter Valley. Tragically as it turned out for Vanian, he ran into financial difficulties and had to sell out before the Rory's Jester's hit the racetracks and became an immediate success. He captured the leading first season sire title for 1989-2000 with 13 winners including four stakes winners and four others stakes placed.

Vanian's financial failure saw Colin Hayes take the opportunity to get Rory's Jester back, acquiring control in his ownership by buying out Manado. It was an acquisition he made without even seeing the property, guided by the advice of John Vincent, the manager of the stud who now runs Jim Fleming's Tyreel stud in the Hawkesbury Valley. Renamed Collingrove, the stud continued to be home for a short time for Rory's Jester and was then moved to a sister stud under the same name at Nagambie. Both studs are now owned by Hayes' former partner in the two Collingroves, the Sangsters' Swettenham stud.

Through his career as a sire to Rory's Jester has been responsible for 641 winners of over 1940 races and $48 million, contributors including 250 two-year-old winners, 76 stakes winners and 73 others stakes placed. His best progeny have been Chortle, Isca, Racer's Edge, Aragen, Moss Rocket and Light Up The World. Crack sprinter Isca is one of the many good horses bred by the late Robert Sangster, founder of Swettenham Stud. He was a big admirer of Rory's Jester and one year bred half a dozen foals by him to northern hemisphere time. Sent to England as yearlings, they included winners in England and the United Arab Emirates. Besides England and the UAE, he has had Australian bred winners in New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore.

Predominantly a speed source with a big reputation for precocious offspring, Rory's Jester was a 3rd generation Australian in male line, being by Crown Jester, a spectacular speedster by Golden Slipper winner Baguette who won six of seven starts at two. Rory's Jester's dam Rory's Rocket also produced Rory's Girl, an unraced Without Fear mare whose stakes winning daughter by Crown Jester, Very Droll, is the dam of the Danehill Golden Slipper winner Ha Ha. Rory's Jester was retired from stud duties in 2005. He was humanely euthanised at Swettenham Stud in Victoria in 2007 at the age of 24.

RACE RECORDS - 17: 7-6-0

EARNINGS - $509,850

Golden Slipper

Pago Pago Stakes

Rawson Stakes