More Joyous became the first dual winner of the Group One Queen Of The Turf Stakes with one of her most dominant performances at Rosehill on Saturday.
The star of Sydney racing brought up the sixth Group One of her career as she left her rivals in her wake in the 1500m feature for fillies and mares on Golden Slipper day.
More Joyous ($1.55 fav) won the same race by 2-3/4 lengths last year and her winning margin this time was 2-1/2 lengths over Miss Keepsake ($81) with King’s Rose ($6) a head away third.
Champion trainer Gai Waterhouse was thrilled to see her stable star shining on the big stage yet again.
“She’s just too good for them,” Waterhouse said.
“You see it with the likes of Black Caviar. When they are too good for them, they are too good for them. There’s not much else you can say.
“She’s just a wonderful, wonderful mare.”
Jockey Nash Rawiller surged forward in the early stages before being able to take a sit off Red Tracer and King’s Rose in transit.
When Rawiller let More Joyous down in the straight the race was over within strides as the five-year-old powered clear.
Waterhouse was straight to the point when asked where More Joyous would head next.
“To the Doncaster and win it,” she said.
More Joyous has 57.5kg in the Doncaster (1600m) and will have to give weight to almost all her rivals.
Owner John Singleton was on track but remained in the grandstand even after seeing his mare’s brilliant display.
Rawiller said it was great to see More Joyous back to her best after racing just below expectations in a three-start Melbourne spring campaign.
“She makes my job easy,” Rawiller said.
“She really attacked the line today. It was pretty impressive.
“Today was as good as she’s raced for probably 12 months, since this day last year.
“She had a bit of an injury after the Doncaster last year and she ran well through the spring but battled. I’m just delighted how she went today.”
Miss Keepsake turned in a slashing effort for second and is being aimed towards the Doomben Cup.
“They are the best mares in the country and she has met them at weight-for-age and finished second,” trainer Joe Pride said.
“She’s heading towards the Doomben Cup and she’ll probably be sold at the Gold Coast broodmare sale.”
