Outstanding sprinter Joliestar produced an explosive performance to demolish her G1 Newmarket Handicap rivals at Flemington and press her claims for a trip further afield later in the year.

Our richly bred daughter of Zoustar was in a league of her own in the 1200 metre short course feature with trainer Chris Waller now likely to turn his shorter-term focus to another top-flight title in Sydney.

“There’s the TJ Smith Stakes (at Randwick) and there’s Royal Ascot later, if she were to go that would be amazing, very special,” Waller’s Racing Manager Charie Duckworth said.

Successful in last season’s G1 Thousand Guineas, Joliestar raced without luck in the spring when unplaced in the G1 The Everest and the Golden Eagle before she was put aside.

The four-year-old again didn’t have any favours again when a resuming third in the G2 Expressway Stakes at Randwick before she showed her true colours in the Newmarket.

She camped in behind the leaders and once into clear air, quickly put the issue beyond doubt for her fifth career victory and boosted her earnings beyond A$3.6 million.

“We had faith that she was the best horse in the race, she’s got an electric turn of foot and at her best she’s amazing,” Duckworth said.

“Massive credit to Chris, the team at home and Cambridge Stud. She’s won a Guineas and now a Newmarket, she’s an amazing athlete.”

Joliestar was beautifully handled by Damian Lane, who was in the fun zone a long way from home.

“She just needed an inch of room to put them away, she travelled so easily and I’ve never been as confident in a Group 1. She made light work of it,” he said.

Bred by Chris Barham, Joliestar was offered by Segenhoe draft at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale where we went to A$950,000 to secure the blueblood.

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

All six of Jolie Bay’s progeny to race have been successful and includes stakes performers Emperor and God Of Thunder.

‍

Our strapping three-year-old Tycoon Prince made a successful return at Te Rapa where he proved too strong for his older rivals.

The son of Written Tycoon hadn’t raced for three months but was produced in prime order by trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray off the back of two lead-up trials.

He settled close to the away from the fence and answered every call of rider George Rooke in the run home and now has a brace of wins and a couple of placings from eight appearances.

Tycoon Prince is a son of the English-bred mare Vanity Queen, who was purchased on our behalf by bloodstock agent John Foote for 125,000gns at the 2017 Tattersalls December Mares’ Same.

She was successful as a two-year-old and is a half-sister to the Listed Newbury Fillies’ Trial Stakes winner Volume, who also placed at Group 1 level in the English and Irish Oaks, and dam of the G1 Curragh National Stakes winner Quorto.

We sold Vanity Queen’s colt by Almanzor to Foote for $260,000 at Karaka earlier this year and she have a younger sister while the mare missed last season and is now in foal to Embellish.

‍

Progressive filly Esternay handled a rise in class with aplomb at Flemington where she gave a competitive field of fillies a head start and a sound beating.

Trained for us by Mark Walker, the well-related daughter of All Too Hard had broken her maiden at her third start at her previous appearance at Cranbourne and continued her winning form in fine style.

“It’s great for Brendan and Jo and the whole team at Cambridge Stud, they’ve been very patient with this filly and she was quite impressive,” Walker said.

“She can throw a bit of a tantrum, so we’ve handled her with kid gloves,  and she’s needed time for the penny to drop.”

Esternay drifted well back in the running and was still last as the field thundered for home.

Rider Blake Shinn drew her to the outside halfway down the straight and the three-year-old turned on the after burners to mow down her rivals and win going away by three-quarters of a length.

“She’s got a great turn of foot, I rode her in a jump-out prior to this and she had prepped up well,” Shinn said.

“It was a quality field of fillies, and I was very impressed with her.”

We purchased Esternay out of Vinery Stud’s draft for A$400,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

She is a daughter of the More Than Ready mare Sezanne, who was a dual winner and finished runner-up in both the G1 Flight Stakes and G2 Moonee Valley Fillies’ Classic.

Sezanne boasts a highly decorated pedigree page that features the Group I winners Bonneval, Charmont and siblings St Reims and Champagne.

‍