A horse with no real owners would have received the biggest cheer of any winner in the country at Flemington on Saturday.
The aptly-named Members Joy signalled bigger wins ahead when scoring its second success for its notional syndicate in the Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes (1100m).
Members Joy winning the Cap D'Antibes Stakes at Flemington - photo by Race Horse Photos Australia
Ridden for speed by jockey Nicholas Hall, Members Joy ($26) cleared out to score by two lengths from the favourite Agueda ($3.10) with a length to Omniscient ($8) in third place.
The performance led trainer Robert Smerdon to predict a possible Thousand Guineas campaign for Members Joy, but he wasn’t seeking any guidance for the future from the filly’s “owners”.
“I don’t know who they are or how it works,” Smerdon said.
“They pay their bills though.”
Members Joy is raced on lease from Swettenham Stud proprietor Adam Sangster to the Melbourne Racing Club Members Syndicate which is at least one thousand-strong.
Syndicate manager Josh Rodder said he conducts a ballot every time the filly races to select 20 members to be “owners” for the day.
“It’s a difficult concept to explain, but we have a lot of people who have expressed an interest and they are the owners,” Rodder said.
“They pay very little and any prizemoney the horse wins just covers costs.”
The spring three-year-old Classics are also on the agenda for the South Australian colt Jimando after his win in the Listed Henry Bucks Best Dressed Stakes (1400m).
Trainer Tony McEvoy declared the victory the best of Jimando’s three so far, saying it proved the colt had the stamina required for the 1600m of the Caulfield Guineas and possibly the 2500m of the Victoria Derby.
“We will go to the Bill Stutt Stakes at Moonee Valley next and that will tell us whether we go for the Guineas or the Derby,” McEvoy said.
Jimando ($12) scored by three-quarters of a length from the favourite Awesome Bro ($4.80) with Forget ($9) a long neck away in third place.
