Cambridge Stud owned mare Joliestar (Zoustar) pulled off a stunning win in the Gr.2 Shorts at Randwick on Saturday, beating fellow Everest contenders Briasa and Private Harry despite sitting back without cover throughout.
The Chris Waller-trained mare, who hadn’t run since a similarly unbelievable win in June’s Gr.1 Kingsford-Smith Cup, was set a task when drifting to the tail and sitting four lanes from the fence but still slid into the race with purpose.
Joliestar ($4.80) and Briasa ($3.10) set off to fight the race out, but the former always looked the more likely and got the job done, making a big statement a month out from the A$20 million Everest.
She quickly shortened from $13 to $7 in Everest betting after the win.
“She was awesome. She’s come back well, and she’s four weeks out from a very big race,” Waller said. “We haven’t asked her (to do a lot) to be truthful, but I can see a more mature horse now.
“I’ve seen the horse trial well, and I’ve just got an all-around more confident horse, so we were confident. We knew from the draw was going to be tricky, so our plan was just to come back, find some cover. We didn’t get the cover, but we didn’t need it.”
James McDonald was never worried in running, even if Joliestar’s backers may have been, with his only goal to keep his mount comfortable, no matter where she ended up in the run.
And even when this eventuated as four-wide with no cover, McDonald didn’t alter tactics and his faith was rewarded handsomely.
“I only had one objective. It was just to get her in a smooth rhythm. I didn’t want a stop-start affair,” he said. “She slid around, albeit deep, but what I was thinking was that Briasa was the one to beat and he was just inside me.
“It wasn’t like he was on the fence and I was four-wide. He was not far off me, and she was game as anything. She’s a solid horse that runs seven furlongs, so she can do that. That was thrilling because she deserves a spot in The Everest. I think she’ll make her presence felt.”