Fingers crossed for Jokers Grin after rocky road to Everest audition

Breeder and managing owner Mark Jones believes his dream horse Jokers Grin, at his best, can measure up to his rivals in the $1 million The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday.

And if he does, Jones would love to race him in the “ultimate”, the $20 million The Everest.

However, after a rocky road which has stretched to this week, it was a case of fingers crossed on Friday.

Jokers Grin – a home-bred son of Maschino out of mare Walk In Beauty, gifted to Jones and David Gatti by long-time friend and trainer Bernie Miller – won nine of 13 starts and $2.66 million in West Australia before coming to Chris Waller’s premier Rosehill stable in January.

Feet problems, though, have delayed his debut for Waller and again had him in doubt this week. Waller reported Jokers Grin had a temperature on Tuesday, which was then linked to a foot abscess. Blood work results and track gallops have since been positive and Jones made the long trek from Western Australia on Thursday in the hope of seeing him race.

He made the trip in April before the Hall Mark Stakes, only to wake up to an email telling him Jokers Grin was lame.

“I’ll just keep the fingers crossed. We’ve had a bit of a rocky road,” Jones said.

“We were planning a two-race run up to Queensland [after the Hall Mark], but then he got a foot abscess, then corns in another foot, the abscess flared a few times and we kept putting it back a couple of races before making the decision to put him out and get him right.”

As evidenced in Jokers Grin’s two slick trials, Jones said the reports this preparation, before the setback this week, were excellent.

“He’s looked a different horse this time around,” Jones said.

“He looked a bit jaded last time. He raced in the Winterbottom then fronted up for the Gold Rush, but he got a respiratory virus.

“He had three weeks in the paddock, then on the truck for five hours to Melbourne and eight hours to Sydney, so he didn’t get a lot of space into his first prep. This time he looks a better horse, a lot fresher and Chris is happy with the way he’s going.”

Jones had his fingers crossed also that his six-year-old could match it with the likes of Everest hopefuls Headwall and Joliestar, and confirmed runner Ninja, in his first test outside WA.

“It would be lovely to see him measure up to these. I think on his best, he certainly should,” Jones said.

“It’s a pretty slick field. In a lot of his early racing in the west, except for the Quokka, it was against lesser opposition, but he did very well for us and we’ve had a fairytale ride with him, so hopefully it continues.

“He’s a big horse and has a lovely temperament, and he loves to run.

“I know that’s the throwaway, they love to run, but everyone who has been on him says he’s like a big kid out there. He loves to run, and he loves to run fast.”

Jones said connections moved Jokers Grin to Waller to access more major races on the east coast, and the richest anywhere, the Everest “was in our minds probably a fair way back”.

“A lot of people would say, ‘are you going to the Everest?’” he said.

“I’d day ‘we’d love to do that’. It’s a dream, but you’ve got to have someone offer you a place. A few things have got to fall into place. It’s the same now. If he races well, I’m sure people will come forward.

“It would be the ultimate. We would be up against a very good horse in Ka Ying Rising, plus a lot of other very good horses, but the Sydney Stakes and further down, there are other races here and in Melbourne.

“Our biggest problem in the west is there’s the Quokka and two lead-ups, but then we’d have to wait for the Winterbottom and it’s lead-up races. Just limited opportunities.”

Rawiller up for ‘interesting’ challenge against Autumn Glow

Nash Rawiller, one of only two jockeys to find a way to beat superstar mare Autumn Glow, believes Gringotts is the one to find any chinks in her armour on Saturday in the $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.

That’s if she had any.

Autumn Glow, last season’s champion horse of the year, was a $1.15 (TAB) favourite for the group 2 after repelling the challenge of Sheza Alibi in the group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) first-up. Only four will line up against her on Saturday and Ciaron Maher-trained Gringotts ($9.50) was seen as next best.

The seven-year-old was third in the Winx, three lengths off Autumn Glow, after making his charge alongside runner-up Sheza Alibi with Ethan Brown aboard.

Rawiller is back on Gringotts, which could race on to the Epsom Handicap and chase a third Big Dance victory. His commitment to the gelding has cost him a chance on Chelmsford Stakes winner Lindermann in the group 1 Underwood Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.

“I was always booked for Gringotts for this race,” Rawiller said.

“I would have loved to have followed Lindermann. I’m crying I’m not on him, but it’s just the way it is. I had a long-term commitment to Gringotts, which I’m really happy about.

“I think he’s come back in terrific order and if there’s one who can find a chink in Autumn Glow’s armour, not that she has any, it’s going to be him.”

Famous for his bold tactics, Rawiller, and the versatile Gringotts, loom as the most likely to test Autumn Glow up front in a race lacking pacesetters.

“It will be interesting,” Rawiller said of the tactical battle.

“I just tend to go through scenarios in my head, and try not to overthink it really. I think the best decisions are made out there.”

Rawiller rode usual front-runner Lindermann back in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in April and they launched late to come second, ahead of Autumn Glow, in Sir Delius’ win and the champion mare’s only loss.

Rawiller’s latest riding masterclass came on Joe Pride-trained Castlejohn, which steps up to Saturday class in the fourth. Castlejohn has won three of his four starts and his latest victory came after Rawiller took him down the outside fence in the back straight before cutting the corner and leading all the way.

“He’s a really promising horse,” Rawiller said.

“Still really raw and learning his craft. He’s still mentally not 100 per cent there, but he’s learning and he’s certainly ready for Saturday class.”

McEvoy hoping for deja vu with Marhoona

Kerrin McEvoy believes Marhoona can get the run to put her best foot forward for an Everest slot when he reunites with the Golden Slipper winner in The Shorts at Randwick.

McEvoy rode the Michael Freedman-trained sprinter to victory in the 1100m group 1 Galaxy in March and gets his first chance with her since over the same distance on Saturday.

Marhoona was sixth in the Concorde Stakes (1000m) first up, after racing on speed and becoming unbalanced and shifting out near the 150m mark when runner-up Headwall brushed past.

Freedman already has Ninja, which also races in the Shorts, in the Everest and had hopes this campaign of also pushing Marhoona’s credentials.

McEvoy, who has won a record three Everests, said he hoped the draw in gate two could help the four-year-old produce her best.

“It’s always nice to get back on a horse you had a nice win with last prep,” McEvoy said.

“She’s drawn a nice gate, and I’m sure there’s improvement in her for second up.

“She should be able to get a nice trail behind Mazu, who looks to take it up, and she’s got gate speed to be there.

“It was a pretty high-pressure race last start and the winner’s come from back in the field, and rounded them up, and she’s one of our best sprinters, Tempted, so it gives you confidence that she’s going to be closer to peak fitness tomorrow.

“There’s an abundance of opportunities for sprinting horses and it’s just important to be in good form at the right time. Anything can happen, so hopefully she can show her wares tomorrow.

“You’ve got to be putting your best foot forward to gain a spot in the Everest, but there’s nice options if she doesn’t make the field.”

McEvoy won the Shorts in with Classique Legend in 2020 en route to their Everest victory.

He also has group 1 ambitions with David Payne-trained Bangkok Hottie, which he took to an on-pace win in the 1200m Furious Stakes last start. She steps up to the 1400m Tea Rose Stakes on Saturday, with the 1600m group 1 Flight Stakes on the horizon, and he was open to how to ride the versatile filly.

“It’s different when you go out to 1400,” McEvoy said.

“You have to ride them a tiny bit different to the sprint trips. She’s a filly that I think will enjoy it.

“She gave a really good feel when I rode her the first time, then I was able to put that first feel to good use second up.

“We’ll play it by ear as to where’s ridden, but she’s versatile. If she jumps like she did the other day, then she will be somewhere up there closer and hopefully just relaxing to run it out strong.