Trevor Andrews and Bernie Miller might be long-time mates but their horses won’t be in the Winterbottom Stakes

Trevor Andrews and Bernie Miller might be good mates off the track, however, they will square off in the Group 1 $1.5 million Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) as rivals when their steeds go to war. Andrews’ Luana Miss ($11) is the new kid on the block and will face her stiffest test when she lines up against Miller’s Jokers Grin ($2.70) in the Ascot feature. The two have shared a long relationship and Andrews pays Miller a professional respect this week, with the filly’s trainer providing Miller with his start in the caper. “We’ve been very good friends, a long time before he started training, and I actually gave him the first couple of horses he started playing with,” Andrews told SEN. “He’s had a quite a bit of success and some really good horses. “Bernie and his wife Karen have been long-time family friends and you just like to see them do well. “Bernie’s work ethic is second to none and he deserves to have a good horse. “He’ll take a power of beating.” Luana Miss sprung into Winterbottom consideration when scoring a devastating success in the Placid Ark (1200m) a fortnight ago against own-age opposition. “We don’t go a great deal with her but she’s replicated her work that she did before the Placid Ark,” Andrews said. “I just wanted to make sure she got over her previous run alright “She’s taking on the big kids in this race and she needed to recover very well and do well in the feed bin. “I left it ‘til Monday and I trotted her up for the vet, and he was very happy with her. “So, we’ve given her the all clear.” With only six starts under her belt, the daughter of Bivouac is the least-experienced runner in this Saturday’s contest. A pre-post favourite for the Karrakatta Plate earlier this year, stomach ulcers and hoof issues curtailed her campaign, but she has hit back this preparation. Purchased for $110,000, Andrews was attracted to the bay having trained relation Gangbuster, a $300,000 earner. She is owned by the same syndicate who raced inexpensive purchases All The Kings Men and A Lot Of Good Men with Andrews, with those two winning $1.35 million combined. Andrews is under no illusion that this weekend will be difficult for Luana Miss to win but he’s not missing a throw at the stumps. “She meets them good on weights and she’s got an electrifying turn of foot,” he said. “Her pattern is she’ll be off the pace and getting home down the outside. “There are only nine runners, so she’ll be back off them a bit and hopefully working home strongly. “It would be nice to be tracking up Jokers Grin or something like that, getting a bit of a windbreak. “She’s got the X-factor and you only get one opportunity to run in these races as a three-year-old. “If she can run top three, it’ll put her in good stead for breeding.” With only 51.5kg on her back, she will again be partnered by Shaun O’Donnell, a veteran hoop who is having a warm run in the saddle. “He’s got good work ethic Shaun, so he’s been working on it (the weight) for the last week or so,” Andrews said. “He hasn’t put himself under any pressure and straight after she ran in the Placid Ark, I put the question to him about the weight. “He said, ‘yeah, not a problem’. He’s been really good, and he’s in red-hot form and very focused, so we’re happy to have his services. “He’s got an uncanny knack of getting on outsiders and winning. He’s quite a lucky jockey and a winning jockey.”