John Sadler is hopeful Sister Madly can again finish in front of the classy More Joyous in Saturday’s Group Two Tristarc Stakes at Caulfield.
The pair have met three times to date with More Joyous up two to one, but Sister Madly had the upper hand when they finished second and third respectively behind star colt Sepoy in the Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley late last month.
“We are hopeful she can beat her again,” Sadler said.
“More Joyous will have to run to her best to beat us but if she runs to her best she will beat us.
“She’s the better mare.
“But if there is a kink we’ll expose it.
“She beat her clearly but I think More Joyous will be better tomorrow.
“It’ll be a great race. You’ve also got Response and Sistine Angel who are good mares also capable of winning a Group One.
“We have been fortunate to have drawn a good alley (barrier two) which is a great help to her. I would have been worried if she drew out because she can over-travel.
“She is a go-forward mare and I was concerned that he (Damien Oliver) might have to dig her up and then she’d get overracing.
“But from two he can just come out on her neck and hopefully just lob (into a good spot).”
Sadler said a decision would be made after the Tristarc whether Sister Madly, a half-sister to former Hong Kong champion sprinter Star Witness, goes on to the Group One Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington on Derby Day.
The Myer Stakes is the race in which More Joyous will be out to land her sixth Group One win.
More Joyous beat Sister Madly into second place in the 2009 Group One Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick and into third place when she won the 2010 Listed Sheraco Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill.
“She’s the best mare in the race,” trainer Gai Waterhouse said of More Joyous who is unbeaten in two starts at Caulfield, both at Group One level.
The More than Ready five-year-old won the 2010 Toorak Hcp (1600m) under 58kg and the 2011 Futurity Stakes (1400m).
“She’s a multiple Group One-winning mare, it’s set-weights and penalties. I think she’s thrown into it,” Waterhouse said.
“I think she’ll take a stack of beating, she’s ready to fire in every single way.
“It’s a perfect race for her.”
Waterhouse wasn’t disappointed with More Joyous’ Manikato effort when three lengths behind Sister Madly and 5-1/4 lengths off Sepoy.
“That is a tight circuit, Moonee Valley, and it really suited the colt (Sepoy). He’s a superior racehorse and he just jumped, took control of the race and the rest were trying to catch up,” she said.
“But I thought she flattened out well in the straight and found the line very strongly.”
More Joyous is $2 favourite with TAB Sportsbet with Sister Madly at $3.80, Response at $11 and Born To Rock at $13.
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