13 Apr 2024It was such a thrill to see our elite level-winning filly Joliestar successfully return to racing on the second day of The Championships at Randwick.
Our regally bred daughter of Zoustar was presented in prime order by trainer Chris Waller and she duly triumphed in the G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint over 1200 metres in her first outing since claiming the G1 Thousand Guineas in the spring.
She was back in the field at the top of the straight and finished resolutely for rider Jamie Kah once into the clear 350 metres from home to take her record to three wins and three runner-up finishes from six attempts.
“She had a long break and it is hard to gauge where they’re at just from trackwork,” Waller said.
“Most horses, they’d already had first-up runs and we’re going into the race fresh with some boom horses and we just rode her comfortably where she was happy and Jamie cleverly found a way through the field.
“She has probably gone to a new level, racing quicker over shorter and beating the boys.”
Joliestar had undergone minor surgery to remove bone chips following the Thousand Guineas.
“We didn’t know it was there and it was precautionary x-rays that found it,” Waller said.
“She could have easily raced on, but we got it out and she had a career to fulfil without any problems to worry about.”
Joliestar was bred by Chris Barham and offered through the Segenhoe draft at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and we went to A$950,000 to secure her.
She has an outstanding pedigree as she is a daughter of the Fastnet Rock mare Jolie Bay, who won the G2 Roman Consul Stakes and finished runner-up in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes.
She is a sister to the Australian and international Group 1 winner and young stallion Merchant Navy.
All five of Jolie Bay’s progeny to race have been successful and includes the stakes performers Emperor and God Of Thunder.