Jokers Grin, who left Western Australia as a nine-time winner from thirteen starts to join the Chris Waller yard in Sydney, will race for only the second time since making that move when he steps out in the $2 million Group 2 Sydney Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
It sets up as very important run for the six-year-old.
The $5 million Quokka was Jokers Grin’s standout success, but his well above average ability permeated throughout his profile with those nine wins coming in an eleven start sequence … and he finished second in the other two outings.
With those firmly established, formidable credentials as a launching pad, Jokers Grin set out to target east coast riches … yet, instead of taking off, his east coast campaign has suffered misfire after misfire, through a variety of circumstances (a hoof abscess, a temperature spike), which has left Jokers Grin sidelined watching lucrative opportunities pass him by.
Two positives amidst that disappointment are that Waller is a true master with his horses and a horse of Jokers Grin’s capability does not lose his inherent ability overnight … so, with patience being one of the stable’ strongest virtues, it is almost certain that when Jokers Grin reappears on Saturday, while he is likely to be short of a run, he will be ready to tackle race action … probably building towards something better where his prowess can be brought into play later to its fullest effect.
The Jokers Grin story is one part of a fine example highlighting the fact that racing is not an exact science … filled as it is with a mix of expectations realised and hopes dashed … particularly when compared to the trajectory followed by another Western Australian star performer, Cosmic Crusader, who like Jokers Grin, changed stables and headed east in search of big, feature race riches.
Their paths in 2026 could not have been more divergent.
At the end of 2025, the then Michael Grantham trained Cosmic Crusader was an eight-time winner from seventeen starts … with a Group 1 win in the Northerly Stakes being the highlight on his resume.
At the end of 2025, the then Bernie Miller trained Jokers Grin was a nine-time winner from thirteen starts with a win in the $5 million Quokka being his standout success, so these two runners had similar launching pads as they took off to join their new stables.
That is where the similarity in their story ends.
Ten months later, Cosmic Crusader, who moved to join the yard of Andrea Leek, has raced a further five times, producing scintillating form when saluting first-up in the Group 3 Bletchingly … and again second-up in the Group 2 P B Lawrence … before placing in successive Group 1 starts in the Memsie (finished third) and the Underwood (finished second) … and then putting a big explanation mark on his run of performances s by rubber-stamping his class with a win in the Group 1 Turnbull.
A true success story.
Ten months later, Jokers Grin, who moved to join the Chris Waller yard, has only had one further start in which he did not beat a runner home in the Group 2 Shorts.
A truly disappointing scenario, even if there are good reasons for his stalled campaign.
One is flying. (Cosmic Crusader is running in $6.5 million Caulfield Cup on Saturday). One is about to start playing catch-up, which is why Jokers Grin’s performance on Saturday will be under more scrutiny than most, certainly a lot more than your average $16 chance.
