Tim and Margaret Carter have suffered their fair of frustrations with gifted sprinter Johny Johny, but they are now confident of a smoother run with the five-year-old.

The Cambridge trainers were rightly bullish about his first-up prospects when he romped home at Pukekohe last month and the son of Charm Spirit looks well-placed to strike again in the Shaw’s Wire Ropes Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa on Saturday.

“He’s been a mission, but crossing fingers we’ve got him back on track again,” Margaret Carter said.

“There have been niggling things gone wrong and we just have to maintain him. It’s all good and no different to any other horse really.

“It’s been nothing major and just wee things that have held him back and we’re pretty sure we’re right now and he’s great.”

Johny Johny returned from a three-month break last time out and made all the play in front before coasting clear in the run home under apprentice Jessica Allen to score by nearly six lengths.

“That was a bit of a gob smacker really, we were quietly confident but wow, didn’t he do the job,” Carter said.

“Jessica did a very good job and kept him balanced and we’ve got her back on again so he’s got a luxury weight (52kg), which is awesome.”

Johny Johny has posted six wins from his 12 appearances on all manner of track surfaces so Saturday’s conditions are of no concern.

“Whatever the track ends up as, it won’t matter to him as he’s pretty versatile and won on them all,” Carter said.

“We’re just going to take it race by race with him, as I said he hasn’t been easy and he’s not easy to work. He can be a bit of a handful to ride, but again we think we have got on top of that as well.”

Johny Johny was offered at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale by breeder Christopher Grace’s Surrey Farm and was initially passed in before changing hands for $12,500.

“We bought him afterwards, it’s all credit to Tim because he picked him out,” Carter said.

A brother to multiple Australian Group winner Kirwan’s Lane, Johny Johny is out of a sister to the dual Group One winner Shillelagh, the Gr.2 Brisbane Cup (2400m) winner Tullamore and the Listed Spring Classic (2000m) winner Grazia.

Meanwhile, stablemate Pukana will chase his first victory in the Irwin’s Trucks & Bus Sales Maiden (1400m) after the four-year-old son of Tivaci has posted fourth placings from two previous appearances.

“He’s showing us plenty and there is just a little question mark on the track for him, if it’s a Soft 6 I’ll be happy,” Carter said.

“He’s a horse that has needed a bit of time and another one that has given us a bit of grief with injuries. He’s sound now he’s matured and everything looks good for him.”

Pukana will be ridden by 4kg claiming apprentice Triston Moodley, who rode his first two winners at Ruakaka on Wednesday.