Sydney jockey Blake Shinn gave Brisbane racegoers a glimpse of his limitless talent when he produced two masterly rides to win the feature race double at Doomben.Shinn gave a stellar display on the Gai Waterhouse-trained Joku to snare Saturday's Listed Bernborough Handicap (1630m).Less than 40 minutes later, he backed it up to give Warwick Farm trainer David Pfieffer his first city winner when Graceful Anna took out the Vo Rogue Plate (1350m).Pfieffer has had his licence for two years and the 29
Sydney jockey Blake Shinn gave Brisbane racegoers a glimpse of his limitless talent when he produced two masterly rides to win the feature race double at Doomben.
Shinn gave a stellar display on the Gai Waterhouse-trained Joku to snare Saturday's Listed Bernborough Handicap (1630m).
Less than 40 minutes later, he backed it up to give Warwick Farm trainer David Pfieffer his first city winner when Graceful Anna took out the Vo Rogue Plate (1350m).
Pfieffer has had his licence for two years and the 29-year-old was pinching himself after Graceful Anna ($3.80) clung to a short head victory over Shoot Out ($3.50 fav) and Choistar ($5.50) in the Group Three feature.
"She's a real little trier and I knew she would keep fighting when she got to the front," Pfieffer said.
"Not many trainers can say their first city winner was in a Group Three race and I was full of confidence after Blake won the previous race, it was a great ride."
The Vo Rogue Plate has set up a mouthwatering clash in the $1 million Magic Millions Trophy (1400m) at the Gold Coast on January 9 when Graceful Anna, Shoot Out and Choistar are all set for a rematch.
Shoot Out's rider Stathi Katsidis warned punters to forgive the gelding's defeat and said the QTC Sires' Produce Stakes winner beat himself by over-racing at his first start in blinkers.
"He pulled himself into the ground and he just ran out of puff," Katsidis said.
"I was expecting him to stop at the corner but he kept coming and it was a great effort."
While Pfieffer was in raptures over Shinn's ride on Graceful Anna, he also earned plenty of plaudits for his performance on Joku.
He slotted straight into the box seat from the tricky 1630m starting point and then angled the big striding gelding to the centre of the track in the straight to find the better ground.
Starting the well-supported $4 favourite, Joku responded to Shinn's urgings to win by 1-1/4 lengths from game mare Alverta ($4.20), who worked to the line on the slow ground, and Absent Friends ($12) who rattled home late to finish a half-neck back in third.
Shinn said he was always confident on Joku.
"What you see is what you get with Joku," Shinn said.
"Things went his way today, he got the split at the right time when I wanted to get out at the top of the straight and he hit the line really well."
Alverta's rider Shane Scriven blamed the wet track for her defeat.
"She had no sprint in the ground. She couldn't accelerate in the straight," he said.