Patrick Carbery admitted it was a bittersweet feeling watching Jokers Grin win without him last start, but can’t wait to get back aboard for the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot on Saturday.
Carbery suffered a concussion as a result of a fall at Bunbury on the 13th of November, meaning he missed the ride aboard Jokers Grin in the Group 3 Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) a few days later.
Having ridden the star sprinter, trained by good friend Bernie Miller, at every other one of his 11 starts to date, including in the $5 million The Quokka (1200m) earlier this year, Carbery will chase a sixth career Group 1 win on Saturday having drawn barrier six of 11.
“I was out for the 12 days, and I’ve had to complete my Cogstate test, which I passed last Thursday,” Carbery said.
“It’s probably no different from any of the other major sports nowadays; it’s just the way things are.
“Sean (O’Donnell) was able to fill in. He didn’t get the keys for long, I got them back pretty quick, but he did a great job on him, and he’s bounced through the run really well.
“It was a mix of emotions that I wasn’t on him, but it was great to see the horse run well and he’d done what we expected him to do.
“It’s not the spot that I want to be in too many times, that’s for sure.”
Bernie Miller has never had a Group 1 winner, with stable pinup Jokers Grin providing two of the horseman’s three Group wins, and Carbery was nonchalant about the middle draw.
“I was expecting 11,” Carbery quipped, having won The Quokka from barrier 13 of 13.
“It’s just a number, you can’t control it, so you’ve just got to work it out.
“He’s drawn middle of the way, so we’ll just work it out and show everyone what he can do.”
Jokers Grin is jostling for favouritism with Overpass, who has won the last two editions of the Winterbottom Stakes and has drawn barrier three, but Carbery doesn’t believe it’s a two-horse race.
“He’s not the only horse in the race,” Carbery said.
“He always runs well here, obviously, and he seems to thrive when he comes to Perth.
“He looks a million dollars, but the horses that have come from over East, they’re no slouches either.
“They’re all being prepared to win it.”
Jokers Grin just holds the call at $2.60 from Overpass at $2.90 while Rey Magnerio (barrier 8) and filly Luana Miss (barrier 11) are the only other horses in single figures at $8 and $9 respectively.
