More Joyous has brought some relief to punters at Rosehill with a win as an odds on favourite in the Canterbury Stakes, Love Conquers All battled away well into second and Demerit ran in third position.
Order was restored at Rosehill on Saturday when glamour mare More Joyous dispatched her rivals with ease to win the Group Two Canterbury Stakes.
More Joyous winning the Canterbury Stakes at Rosehill racecourse - Photo by Steve Hart
The first three favourites – Flying Empress, Sepoy and Satin Shoes – had all been beaten on the opening day of the Sydney Carnival but More Joyous ($1.30) controlled the 1300m weight-for-age contest from the front and cruised away to defeat Love Conquers All by 2-3/4 lengths with another 2-1/4 lengths to Demerit in third place.
More Joyous’ easy victory saw her firm from $3 to $2.60 at the top of Doncaster Mile betting with TAB Sportsbet.
The five-year-old is now unbeaten in three starts this campaign and her Canterbury Stakes success was her ninth straight win on a Sydney racetrack.
Her only defeat in her past 12 starts was a fifth in last year’s Cox Plate.
“She was just like the queen of the turf today, she did it so easily,” trainer Gai Waterhouse said.
“She gave them a galloping lesson.”
The Group One Doncaster (1600m) at Randwick on April 16 is the mare’s main autumn mission but her next Group One assignment is likely to be in the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill in two weeks.
Rawiller echoed Waterhouse’s sentiments, saying More Joyous did it so easily.
The star mare was nominated for the Champions Mile in Hong Kong and while that trip has been ruled out Rawiller would love to see her given the chance on the world stage at some point.
“She is world class, no doubt about that,” he said.
“I would love to see her go somewhere and show them what she is made of.
“(Owner) John (Singleton) is not overly keen about doing it at the moment but I would love to see her do it at some point.”
Last year’s Doncaster Mile winner Rangirangdoo made his return in the Canterbury Stakes at his first start for almost a year and finished fourth.
“That was good, he just blew out a bit,” trainer Chris Waller said.
“We’ll make sure he pulls up well but it’s a relief to have him back at the races.”
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