Waller chases change of luck in Newmarket Handicap with Joliestar

Chris Waller has been training long enough to know you can’t plan for it, but good luck is the one thing he craves for Joliestar at her next outing.

That will be in next Saturday’s Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington, which will be her first Victorian start since winning the Thousand Guineas in late 2023.

It will be the first look at the Flemington straight for Joliestar and is a strategic play from Waller to try and give her the best shot at landing another feature win and rectify a form card plagued by unlucky runs.

“She just needs a bit of confidence and a bit of luck, so we thought bringing her down to Flemington to run in the Newmarket next Saturday would be a good idea,” Waller said.

“She is certainly good enough in our opinion.

“Obviously it’s a different style of racing, but one that she should adapt to.”

Joliestar is by Zoustar, who won a Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes over the Flemington 1200m and has passed on straight-track ability to his progeny.

Two of Sunlight’s three Group 1 wins came down the straight, in the Coolmore Stud Stakes and Newmarket Handicap, while Zoutori is a Newmarket winner and Ozzmosis provided him with a second Coolmore Stud Stakes success.

The Newmarket Handicap will be the second start for the campaign for Joliestar, who finished third first-up in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) when caught wide.

Her previous two runs were seventh placings in the Golden Eagle and The Everest last spring when she had little luck on each occasion.

Joliestar had a familiarisation gallop at Flemington under Damian Lane last Friday morning and Waller said giving her a start over the ‘Straight Six’ serves a dual purpose with the remainder of her campaign not set in stone.

“We love to give our horses an experience of running down the straight because there are so many great races here at Flemington, or even overseas if we want to travel, so it gives you that option,” he said.

Joliestar will be joined in the Newmarket by three-year-old stablemate Gatsby’s, who was scratched from Saturday’s $1m Inglis Sprint to be saved for the Group 1.