Champion trainer Chris Waller is set to unleash a powerful three-horse attack on the $20 million The Everest, with Joliestar, Lady Shenandoah and Angel Capital all confirmed for Saturday’s showdown against Hong Kong sensation Ka Ying Rising.
For Joliestar, this year’s edition offers redemption after she was luckless in last year’s race, finishing strongly from the tail to run just over 1½ lengths behind Bella Nipotina. Since then, she has captured Group 1 titles in both the Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m), confirming her class.
“Right after (jockey) James (Mcdonald) got off her last year, he said we were very stiff. We should have gone closer,” Waller said.
“It hasn’t so much been about redemption, it’s about giving her a second chance.
“Fortunately, we’ve got a horse we think is more mature now. Not that she wasn’t last year but she begins well, she puts herself in the race. She is versatile, as we saw first-up when she sat four-wide.
“The key is she’s a good horse. Let her use her stride and she’ll be there at the finish.”
McDonald retains the ride on Joliestar and will again face Ka Ying Rising, who heads the market as the world’s highest-rated sprinter.
“He’s got to bring that overseas rating to Australia. If he does, it’s great for Sydney racing, Australian racing,” Waller said.
“If he doesn’t win, I hope he runs second, and we’ve got a new world champion.”
Lady Shenandoah also looms as a major player after her unlucky second in the Concorde Stakes (1000m) and fourth in the Manikato Stakes (1200m).
“Her first-up run was excellent and she had no luck in the Manikato (Stakes),” Waller said. “She does have the x-factor.”
Completing the Waller trio is Angel Capital, who continues to impress after a flashing fourth in the Sir Rupert Stakes, with the trainer confident his progression will soon be rewarded at Group 1 level.
“Everyone that has got anything to do with the horse has got full confidence he’s a big deal,” Waller said.
“We’re just waiting for him to put it all together on the big stage.”
Punters eager to back Joliestar or any of Waller’s runners in The Everest can find the best markets and bonuses at Australia’s leading betting sites, ranked among the most searched platforms on Google for horse racing wagering.
