By Terry Wilson

THE bolter from the bush, Shakey Diesel, deserved to get a crack at racing against the premier sprinters in the Group 1 Sky Racing Brisbane Cup (520m), and he has made it through to the final at Albion Park on July 2.

It was the least his trainer, Yamanto (near Ipswich, Qld) based Peter O’Reilly could do after he upstaged a couple of stars in Oh Mickey and Hooked On Scotch on June 18 in the TAB Super Sprinters – at the very juicy odds of $101 – and a week after claiming the Group 3 Rockhampton Cup.

The Brisbane Cup heat may have been a major step up in class for Shakey Diesel, but O’Reilly decided to give his underdog a go.

“I thought of having a go at it, why not?” said O’Reilly, who also runs 80 head of Charolais cattle on his property.

“He tries hard and he deserved a go at the Cup. He’s just turned three and is in his prime so I just had to give him a go.”

Shakey Diesel may have finished 12 lengths behind an exploding Black Opium in the Brisbane Cup heat, but his second place meant a place in a group one final … and as the adage goes – ‘You have to be in it to win it’.

O’Reilly’s previous biggest win was in a G2 Lismore Cup with Yogi Blue.

Last year Shakey Diesel finished runner-up to Feral Franky in the Flying Amy Classic final, beating home, among others, Sennachie and Black Opium.