SCST SEPT 27 - IMA JOKER LAUGHS ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Sunshine Coast, September 27, 2009.
Track - Good 3. Rail - out 4m.
Open Handicap - 1200m. Time: 1-12.03.
1 Ima Joker; 2 Frisco's In Charge; 3 Craiglea Warrior.

After being touched off by a short-half-head in his last start, Ima Joker made no mistake this time under a well-rated ride by apprentice jockey Jacque Brown.

Brown took the six-year-old to the front early. She then gave the gelding a slight breather mid-race before kicking away hard early in the straight, laying down the gauntlet to the opposition. Horse and rider were as one in their determination to set the record straight and they seemed to gain in confidence as their rivals came under pressure and began to struggle halfway up the straight.

For all that, the threat was seldom far away and Brown had to keep Ima Joker honest all the way to the line. In the end, Ima Joker scored by 1.50 lengths.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Wayne Nugent: “Yeah Jacque (Brown) rides him in all his work, so she deserves the win. She was very unlucky on him ... she got trapped three deep on him the other day. Just a victim of circumstances early and he fought on well the other day without much luck.

“We had confidence today, but we were just a bit worried when Stolit drew the one alley. We thought, ah, here we go again. We’re going to get stuck out on a limb. But, no, he showed a good bit of pace and he’s won well.

“We sort of wanted to be in the lead or right up there. Just keep them chasing ... and they weren’t good enough to catch him, so it was all good.”

Apprentice jockey Jacque Brown: “Last time (when beaten a short-half-head by Stolit) ... he races so honestly, but he couldn’t lead Stolit last time. There was another horse to Stolit’s outside and so I was three deep in that run. I wouldn’t have improved my wide position had I gone back, so I just sort of kept him travelling. I think that’s the trick with this horse ... to keep him rolling steadily. I ride him every morning in work. I’m had a lot of success on him. I’ve won three races on him this prep, yeah, and as I say, I think the trick is to let him roll.

"In this race today ... I could lead Stolit this time and I then backed the pace off a little bit. I knew that if I just let him roll just that little bit too much he probably wouldn’t have that dash right at the end ... because right at the end is where he always just falters that little bit. So I just backed the pace off. I though, ah well, it’s worth a try. He responded straight away when I asked him to pick up again and he kicked away really well. He was good.”

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Devastating (S. Kennedy) was slow into stride. Myndos (J. Taylor) raced three wide for the majority of the event. Approaching the home turn Stolit(J. Kropp) had to be steadied when it improved on to the heels of Ima Joker (J. Brown).