Veteran trainer Chris Waller knows that luck is unpredictable in horse racing, but as Joliestar prepares for her upcoming race, he hopes fortune will finally be on her side.
The talented filly will line up in next Saturday’s Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington, marking her first race in Victoria since taking out the Thousand Guineas late last year.
Racing down the Flemington straight for the first time, Joliestar’s connections see this as a crucial opportunity for her to land another major victory and put an end to a string of unfortunate runs.
“She just needs a bit of confidence and a bit of luck, so we thought bringing her down to Flemington to run in the Newmarket next Saturday would be a good idea,” Waller said.
“She is certainly good enough in our opinion.
“Obviously it’s a different style of racing, but one that she should adapt to.”
Joliestar comes from top-class bloodlines, being sired by Zoustar, who claimed victory in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes over 1200m at Flemington. His progeny have also thrived down the straight.
Sunlight secured two of her three Group 1 titles on the Flemington course, winning both the Coolmore Stud Stakes and the Newmarket Handicap. Zoutori is also a Newmarket champion, while Ozzmosis recently added another Coolmore Stud Stakes to Zoustar’s record as a sire.
The Newmarket Handicap will be Joliestar’s second start this preparation. She ran third in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) in her season return after being caught wide.
Last spring, she ran seventh in both the Golden Eagle and The Everest, struggling to find luck in running on both occasions.
Joliestar had a workout at Flemington under jockey Damian Lane last Friday. Waller sees the run as a valuable learning experience with her future race plans still flexible.
“We love to give our horses an experience of running down the straight because there are so many great races here at Flemington, or even overseas if we want to travel, so it gives you that option,” he said.
She won’t be Waller’s only runner in the Newmarket Handicap, as three-year-old stablemate Gatsby’s will also contest the race after being scratched from Saturday’s $1m Inglis Sprint.
