Star mare in league of her own

Weight of expectation rested easily on the powerful shoulders of Joliestar in the opening run of her campaign at Randwick.

Our top-class daughter of Zoustar took on a small but select field in her reappearance in the G2 Expressway Stakes over 1200 metres under James McDonald and the five-year-old comfortably added to her sublime fresh record.

It was the Chris Waller-trained mare’s fifth victory from seven first-up attempts and sets her up ideally for another lucrative campaign.

"She is a mature horse now, simple as that. Last year she needed to settle and relax and do the little things right and she does that now,” Waller said.

“James put her into a beautiful position. Tactically that was great as it was a sprint home. James didn't go around them, he just stuck to the basics and rode her like a jockey should.

“I'd say she’d go to the Canterbury Stakes over 1300 metres here at Randwick in three weeks’ time."

Joliestar travelled easily in the one-one and once she hit top gear in the closing 70 metres it was game, set and match.

"He (Caballus) had us all chasing a fair way from home, but my mare was always going to be surging and then it was always a matter of getting there in time," McDonald said.

“When she gets the right setup like that, you'd be pushing it to find a horse who could beat her in this country."

Joliestar has now won eight of her 19 starts, including the Newmarket Handicap, Kingsford Smith Cup and the Thousand Guineas at the highest level.

She was bred by Chris Barham and we went to A$950,000 to secure her out of Segenhoe Stud’s draft at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

We also bought her half-sister by Anamoe for A$470,000 at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

They are out of the Fastnet Rock mare Jolie Bay, who won the G2 Roman Consul Stakes and finished runner-up in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, and is a sister to the Australian and international Group 1 winner and stallion Merchant Navy.

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