Weekend at Bernie's: 70yo trainer set to steal show in The Quokka
If you had told Bernie Miller a few months ago that he'd have a runner in a $5 million race, he'd have said you were an idiot. But on Saturday, the 70-year-old larrikin trainer can provide the fairytale story of The Quokka.
Some trainers might party for a week if they won a $5m race, but not 70-year-old larrikin Bernie Miller.
Miller, who worked for an electrical company fixing power lines for more than two decades, might be a colourful character but he knows the value of hard work.
He can provide the fairytale story of Saturday's $5m The Quokka at Ascot but says even if Jokers Grin scores the rich slot race, there will be work to be done at his small stable an hour from Perth.
'If you told me last year that I would have a horse in a $5m race, I would have said you were an idiot,' Miller told Racenet.
'I'm quite dedicated with everything I do with my horses.
'After the race on Saturday I've got to drive the truck back to my stables and Perth drivers are the worst in the world.
'I would rather get home, get my horse safe and do the things I need to do for the other horses who are just as important.
'I won't finish until after 9pm that night.
'I might have a sneaky light beer, but that will be it.'
Jokers Grin remains unbeaten over 1000m after winning the $100,000 Rock Magic Stakes. Check out the exciting return by the rising star of WA. @7horseracing @PerthRacing pic.twitter.com/UYKRjDcHXg
— Racing WA Thoroughbred (@RacingWA_Tbreds) March 29, 2025
Miller first started training in the early 1980s but has never been a big-time player.
His main source of income for 23 years was working as a linesman for an electrical company.
'We used to work on the power lines when they were live, so we used to have a lot of accidents,' Miller chuckled.
'Basically, I was just a young kid who loved horses.
'We were lucky that I had a family friend who had some good trotters.
'As a young bloke, I couldn't wait until I was 16 so I could go to the trots.
'One fella knew I loved the horses and got me an ex-racehorse that was retired and my love of thoroughbreds started from there.'
• 'Gone to another level': Quokka first before Everest shot
Miller, who returned to training in 2007, purchased the mother of Jokers Grin as a weanling and that was the origin of the remarkable tale of the unexpected Quokka contender.
The four-year-old gelding has won six from nine and could be the giant killer in The Quokka, looking to take down the likes of two-time winner Overpass and other high calibre eastern states contenders such as Headwall and Front Page.
Miller says he currently has five horses in work, up from the solitary horse he trained when he returned to training in 2007.
But he says his horse numbers fluctuate.
One thing he feels sure of is that Jokers Grin, an $11 chance, will make his presence felt in the $5m slot race on Saturday.
Thrilling finish to the Group 3 PKF Roma Cup over 1100m at Ascot with the judges unable to split The Boss Lady and Jokers Grin before stewards ultimately upheld a protest in The Boss Lady's favour.
Resuming after 3 straight at Ascot, this was the second stakes victory for The… pic.twitter.com/0Gnus9XDrS
— Aushorse (@Aushorse_TBA) April 12, 2025
'This week I'm training five horses, but next week Jokers Grin will have a spell so I will be down to four,' Miller said.
'The week after that, I don't know.
'I'm very confident that my horse will be extremely competitive.
'His work last Saturday was a personal best.
'I can't get him any better at this stage of his life to complete against the best sprinters.
'Patty Carbery is one of the kindest and nicest jockeys going around and he is like family to me, it would mean a lot to both of us if we could win.'
"We are actually the best mates, 100%."
Bernie Miller, Patty Carbery & Jokers Grin make an all-star Quokka team 🤗 pic.twitter.com/1FN9JCYqfT
— Ladbrokes Australia (@ladbrokescomau) April 20, 2025
Jokers Grin will race in the Ladbrokes slot.
A spokesman said: 'We are proud to be supporting a local horse in their richest race this year.
'We believe Jokers Grin can go on to bigger and better things and we are backing in Bernie Miller and Patrick Carbery to get him there.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Joe Pride taking on Stradbroke Handicap history with Private Eye
Trainer Joe Pride isn't concerned by historical trends as he readies Private Eye for a remarkable bid to win the Group 1 $3m Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. With the withdrawal of Giga Kick, Pride's sprinter Private Eye has 57kg and will wear the No.1 saddlecloth when he goes first-up into Queensland's premier sprint. Private Eye is attempting to become the first horse this century to win the Stradbroke as topweight and without a lead-up run. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Crawl won the 2001 Stradbroke off a 56-day break between runs but Private Eye will go to Eagle Farm having not started since his fourth behind Robusto in The Ingham at Randwick on December 14, last year – a gap of 182 days. 'Records are made to be broken and I don't think first-up is what it used to be,'' Pride said. 'I've also given Private Eye four barrier trials, I'm very happy with him, and he won't be beaten on the score of fitness.'' Giga Kick, who won the 2022 The Everest beating Private Eye, had 58.5kg in the Stradbroke but after finishing only sixth in Joliestar's Kingsford Smith Cup last Saturday, owner Jonathan Munz confirmed the chestnut is out of Saturday's big race. Munz said although Giga Kick seems to have pulled up well the gelding will undergo a thorough veterinary examination and won't run in Stradbroke. Private Eye is attempting to become the first horse to have the No.1 saddlecloth and shoulder 57kg or more to win the Stradbroke since Rough Habit scored under 58.5kg in 1992. 'His trial last Friday at Rosehill was everything I wanted to see from him. He jumped and put himself on the speed,'' said Pride, who won the Stradbroke with Think About It two years ago. 'He wanted to be there and that's the best version of Private Eye. He ran second in a Stradbroke three years ago (behind Alligator Blood) and I feel he's ready to run super again on Saturday.'' Private Eye, already the winner of $11.9m prizemoney, is on the third line at $11 of early TAB fixed odds betting for the Stradbroke behind the Team Hayes-trained War Machine at $2.80. Meanwhile, Pride said he has decided to give In Flight a short break after her tough win in the Bob Charley AO Stakes at Royal Randwick last Saturday. 'In Flight came out of the race really well but I'm going to give her eight to 10 days off,'' Pride said. 'The plan then is to take her to Melbourne for the (Group 3 $200,000) Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield (July 12). 'She should get the wet track she likes down there at that time of year.''
Courier-Mail
14 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Glen Thompson weighs up Q22 back-up for luckless Queensland Oaks placegetter Benagil
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Flemington trainer Glen Thompson will make a decision on Wednesday on whether gifted filly Benagil will back-up for Saturday's $1.2m Q22 (2200m) at Eagle Farm. Thompson believes Benagil was unlucky not to win last Saturday's Queensland Oaks (2200m) feature after getting caught behind horses in the straight before making a late charge under Mark Zahra. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! She ended up finishing third, less than a length behind the Kris Lees-trained You Wahng and Godolphin's runner Pinito. 'I'll make a decision on Wednesday morning,' Thompson said. 'She's licked the bin out ever since the Oaks and seemed nice and bright this morning (Monday). 'I always had in the back of my mind that if she won (the Oaks) then I'd look at running her in the Q22. 'She should've won so I guess there's no reason not to give her a chance and I don't think it's an overly strong year for it (the Q22). 'Even Mark (Zahra) said she should've won by a length or two. It's frustrating because they're hard races to win and she'll never get another chance in an Oaks again. 'She just needs to give us a sign that she doesn't need to back up. 'She was going to go for a break this week but one more week isn't going to hurt.' • Grafterburners primed for JJ Atkins decider against Cool Archie It would be hard to knock back a chance to contest the weight-for-age Q22, won last year by Fawkner Park, given the winner's cheque is a massive $720,000. Thompson said Craig Williams would ride in the Q22 if he decided that the Australasian Oaks winner Benagil would race on Saturday. 'She'll then have five or six weeks in the paddock up here (in Brisbane) and she'll come back for a couple of runs for the tail end of spring,' he said. Thompson said Benagil would go second-up into the $1m Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on November 1. Originally published as Trainer Glen Thompson weighing up Q22 back-up for filly Benagil
Daily Telegraph
15 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Scone preview: It Stays In Vegas can kickstart another big day for Scott Singleton
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Local trainer Scott Singleton will again be a force at Scone's first meeting since their annual Cup day/stand-alone carnival where he posted his 400th career win and won the Group 3 Dark Jewel Classic. Singleton is represented by three of his string on Tuesday starting with the lightly-raced three-year-old It Stays In Vegas who tackles the Arrowfield Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1000m). The son of one-time Arrowfield resident stallion Shalaa resumed in the coveted Red Crown at Muswellbrook on June 1 but proved no match for the long odds-on winner, Raging Force. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'I was happy enough for him to run second to that horse there but I was disappointed that he couldn't,'' Singleton said. 'I thought he was just a little bit plain but admittedly, he was first-up and he had to sit outside the leader. 'And it was a funny track that day, it was really gluey and a lot of horses didn't like it so I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that those couple of things might have played against him. 'I think he is a better horse than he went the other day so I am wanting to see him bounce back and do something there on Tuesday.' It Stays In Vegas is a third generation Australian thoroughbred but does indeed have some American blood and via the likes of two epic stallions, one of them an immortal. His third dam was a daughter of Seeking The Gold while her fourth was by Seattle Slew, who this week 48 years ago, completed the US Triple Crown by winning the Belmont Stakes. Singleton, meanwhile, has the honour and distinction of saddling up one of the shortest-priced favourites racing at Scone on Tuesday in Ritzsun ($1.85) in the third race on the eight-event program. Ritzsun has been a model of consistency throughout his nine starts, winning twice (both of them at Scone) together with four placings, three of them seconds. The son of Rosebud winner Sebring Sun's most recent performance was a brave and determined on-pace second in the 1200m TAB Highway conducted at Gosford on the Gold Cup and The Coast day. His Tuesday assignment is the Scone CWA Centenary Benchmark 82 Handicap (1000m). 'Up in grade but down in weight,'' Singleton said. 'He's in an 82 there but he is only carrying 55(kg) so from a good draw and the way he has been working, I would be expecting him to win to be honest.' Ritzsun has already contested three Highways inside his nine starts and win, lose or draw on Tuesday, there will be a fourth somewhere down the road. 'That would be the plan,'' Singleton said. 'He has only won the two (races) so he can win again and still go to a Highway. 'He is definitely good enough to win a Highway if all the stars align.' Singleton is naturally eager for the well-bred mare Insightful Award to post her fourth win in the Darley Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap (1300m) having placed at two of her last three 'away' runs. 'I am hoping that given when she won at Scone earlier in the prep, she bolted in, and that was down to the home-track and she can repeat that because it sort of came from nowhere,'' Singleton said. 'But she has remained in good order. 'She a little bit keen the other day at Warren but she certainly seems in good shape and she'll run well.' Originally published as Scone preview: Three-year-old It Stays In Vegas can kickstart another big day for Scott Singleton
