Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller finally won the only Sydney Group 1 race that had eluded him as champion jockey James McDonald continued his masterclass with a fifth stakes win at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
This was Waller’s 188th career Group 1 win but remarkably his first success in the Canterbury Stakes.
For good measure, Waller prepared the Canterbury Stakes trifecta with Joliestar running down Beiwacht with Lady Shenandoah an unlucky third.
“There’s still a few Group 1 races we haven’t won but it is good to get the set in Sydney,” Waller said.
“I feel the 1300m is just about the perfect trip for Joliestar, in 1200m races she needs speed and for them to really roll along but 1300m is her sweet spot.
“She has never been going better and we will aim her at the TJ Smith Stakes next and then all going well we will take her to Royal Ascot.
“Beiwacht was very good and Lady Shenandoah didn’t have much luck. They ran really well but I’m not sure where they will go next.”
Joliestar ($2.25 favourite) was given the run of the race by McDonald and she ambushed a brave Beiwacht ($9) near the line to win by a half length with Lady Shenandoah ($4.20) finishing third, beaten just over a length despite being trapped wide from her outside barrier.
McDonald was riding in sensational form with Joliestar’s Group 1 Canterbury Stakes his fifth winner for the meeting after earlier successes with Generosity in the Challenge Stakes, Pinito in the Aspiration Quality, Beadman in the Fireball Stakes and Chayan in the Reisling Stakes.
Joliestar provided McDonald with his 127th Group 1 winner including his 52nd major for Waller.
“I’m lucky to be riding some great horses and working with a fantastic trainer in Chris (Waller),” McDonald said.
“It’s just a lovely working relationship, the horses are performing. They are always turned out immaculate, they are here to win and as long as we get a little bit of luck throughout the race they do the job.
“Chris is a champion and I’m just hanging onto the coat tails really.”
Joliestar recorded her fourth career Group 1 win and took her earnings to more than $7.1 million.
She has also earned a trip to England for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at the prestigious Royal Ascot carnival in June.
McDonald felt this was the right time to take rising six-year-old Joliestar overseas to race.
“She is in the best form of her career because she is so tractable now,” McDonald said.
“When I peeled out I thought ‘it’s her time to shine’, she’s had everything go her way.
“She was running down a really good colt and she’s a top horse herself, so take nothing away from the second horse, Beiwacht, he was really great.”
Waller praised McDonald’s perfect judgment as he got the timing of Joliestar’s finishing run just right.
“It was a beautiful ride. She had a nice draw, so everything set up well,” Waller said.
“She’s just come back really well, she’s a more mature horse. She knows her job and just does it well.”
Waller said planning for Joliestar’s Royal Ascot campaign has already begun with the trainer keen to repeat his success with Nature Strip at the famous English racing carnival four years ago.
“We know the date she’s leaving and everything like that so that’s how far we’ve gone into the program,” he said.
Every race you’ve got to come back safe and do the little things right and keep her good form. But one more run, that’s the TJ Smith Stakes back to 1200m and then on the plane.
