Chris Waller has broken his own record for most number of Group One wins in a season with Joliestar arriving in the final bounds to post a thrilling victory in the Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm.
The mare’s success gave the champion trainer his 19th triumph at the elite level this term, eclipsing the 18 Group 1s he claimed during the 2018-19 season, seven of those delivered by the incomparable Winx.
This term it has been another outstanding mare in Via Sistina who has helped boost Waller’s strikerate by contributing seven of his 19 top-level victories.
But on Saturday, the afternoon belonged to Joliestar.
Starting a $2.40 favourite with online bookmakers, the four-year-old settled worse than midfield and had her work cut out at the top of the straight when leaders Zarastro and Golden Mile skipped well clear, jockey James Mcdonald admitting even he thought she faced an impossible task.
“There was not one stage where I thought she was going to win the race,” McDonald said.
“Then she put in this humungous dive with two strides to go and I thought, I’m a little chance here and I looked up and saw the camera man. She is a super mare.”
Joliestar’s victory has taken her record to six wins from 15 starts and Waller says it could arguably read even better if not for bad luck.
He confirmed he would consult the mare’s owners about a second shot at the $20 million Everest after she flashed home late in the race last year when shuffled back to near-last.
“It was a mission that we missed out on last spring so we will have a chat about it,” Waller said.
“She is a lovely horse. She’s got a great record. She did it at three, she has won a Newmarket and had a lot of bad luck along the way.
“She is a pleasure to be training. The stable at the Gold Coast call her ‘the Queen’ so we will run with that. She is the Queen of Queensland today, anyway.”
In a three-way tussle to the line, Joliestar ($2.40 fav) edged out local hope Zarastro ($17) with Golden Mile ($26) third.
Second favourite Giga Kick ($3.80) got a long way out of his ground and finished sixth.
