The Bernie Miller trained Jokers Grin took out the $200 000 Group 3 Colonel Reeves Stakes at Ascot to complete a notable hat trick of wins and improve his already substantial race record to nine wins and two runner-up finishes from only twelve starts.
Jokers Grin, the $1.75 race favourite, came into the race with wins in the $5 million Quokka and the Group 3 Prince Of Wales sitting either side of a six-month break from race action … and he was more than ready to go again here, second-up.
A blistering early speed left Jokers Grin racing in last place, some six lengths off the lead in the early part, but, by the start of the approach to the home turn, Shaun O’Donnell had Jokers Grin starting to make up ground in a measured fashion … both in terms of the unrushed way in which he was starting to set Joker’s Grin about his business and the route he was electing to follow … aiming for an uninterrupted run in the home straight out wider on the track.
The five lengths he had to make up on straightening was always going to be a task within Jokers Grin’s grasp and, again, O’Donnell allowed Jokers Grin the freedom to go through his gears in his own time, only getting a little bit busy on the horse inside the last 150m when Willie Pike and Oscar’s Fortune, the $2.80 second favourite, appeared as a possible threat charging up along the inside rail.
In the end though, the win was more comfortable than the 0.56 length winning margin suggests.
While the horse is a star and he was presented finely tuned by Miller, credit is also due to O’Donnell here who rode Jokers Grin for the first time after getting a late callup when Patrick Carbery, the gelding’s regular jockey was sidelined due to concussion protocols.
O’Donnell was quite masterful. He never put a foot wrong while riding Jokers Grin for what he was … the best horse in the race.
“Yeah, it is out the way, so we just focus on the next two weeks now (going into the Winterbottom) and get the little champ right,” said Bernie Miller.
“It was a great effort there by Shaun (O’Donnell). It was beautiful. He followed the instructions … Paddy’s (Carbery) instructions, I’m sure … not mine. He absolutely rode him a treat.
“I think he has improved a couple of lengths from his last run. He’ll need to lift again in two weeks … and I believe he will.”
For Shaun O’Donnell, who only got the booking for the ride on Friday, it was a case of mission accomplished.
“I’m beyond words really,” said O’Donnell. “I gained this ride through an unfortunate incident to Paddy (Carbery), but geez I’m very grateful to Bernie, the owners and Paddy for letting me ride this bloody champion. What a horse!
“He did all the work and I just had to sit there and try not to **** it up.
“Didn’t he do it well. They are just champions thee horses. They turn up every time. You can give them a bit of a task and they just take you. That’s what we do this for to try and find these horses.
“It was a pleasure to be on him.”
