Joliestar targets Royal Ascot after TJ Smith win

SYDNEY – Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller maintains Joliestar is a “more complete racehorse” and now is the right time to take on the world at Royal Ascot.

The leading Sydney trainer made this declaration after the quality five-year-old mare claimed the fifth Group 1 win of her career, with a typically tough effort in the A$3 million (S$2.66 million) TJ Smith Stakes (1,200m) at Royal Randwick on April 4.

With that win, Joliestar has completed an unbeaten three-start Sydney autumn campaign. It included the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1,200m) on Feb 14 and the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1,300m) on March 7.

“Joliestar just showed the difference between her this year compared to last year,” said Waller.

“Last year, she could pull out a belter of a run but wide draws and luck in the running could get her beaten too.

“But she is a more complete racehorse now and is at the very peak of her form.”

Joliestar ($14) gave Waller and champion jockey James McDonald successive Group 1 wins when she held off the determined Giga Kick (Zac Purton) to score by ½ length, with Skybird (John Allen) another neck away in third.

Waller also won with two-year-old colt Campione D’Italia ($14) in the A$1 million Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1,400m) one race earlier.

The son of Snitzel ensured his future at stud with his first Group 1 triumph when he powered to the line from back of the field to score by ¾ length over Miss Chanel (Regan Bayliss).

Joliestar gave Waller and McDonald their fourth TJ Smith Stakes’ win, after their three-peat with Nature Strip in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The former champion sprinter came off his third TJ Smith Stakes to win the 2022 Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes (1,000m) with McDonald at Royal Ascot.

The 2025 Longines World’s Best Jockey will be keen to chase more international success with Joliestar in June.

“The dream of Royal Ascot is very exciting, and no doubt she’ll be a force to be reckoned with,” he said of the daughter of Zoustar. “She has had her doubters before, but they have no leg to stand on now. She is a Grand Final winner.”

McDonald has now ridden 12 Australian Group 1 winners for the season, having also won three majors overseas with Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior.

Waller said he will now prepare Joliestar for her Royal Ascot campaign, where she will be aimed at the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Stakes (1,200m) on June 20, before another lofty target in the Group 1 The Everest (1,200m) at Randwick on Oct 17.

“I think we will probably go for the Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot,” he said. “We had the trip planned well before today, but we wanted to see her run well in the TJ to cement her place for England.

“I would go to Royal Ascot and bring her back for The Everest – she has just started to mature as a racehorse.”

Trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman, superstar filly Sheza Alibi annihilated her rivals in the A$4 million Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1,600m).

Settled near the tail of the 16-horse field, the $8 favourite had many lengths to make up rounding the home turn.

But the daughter of Saxon Warrior took just a handful of bounds to gather in her opposition, downing Autumn Boy (Kerrin McEvoy) by a widening 4¼ lengths.

Moody strapped 1988 Doncaster Mile winner Lygon Arms while working for the great TJ Smith, and was thrilled to return almost 40 years later and claim it as a trainer with Coleman.

The larrikin trainer, who reached racing’s highest echelons with the legendary Black Caviar, was rarely moved to tears during the career of his undefeated champion back then, but was unashamedly emotional with Sheza Alibi’s breathtaking Doncaster Mile victory.

“I remember my time with TJ and that’s why it’s always special. Randwick was always home to me,” he said.

“I’ve been blessed to train one of the greatest we have ever seen, but this filly is just amazing.

“I’m not saying she is Black Caviar, but how good. Where’s the ceiling? You don’t know.”

Sheza Alibi has become the first three-year-old filly to win the Doncaster Mile since the mighty Sunline in 1999.

It was jockey Jamie Melham’s second Doncaster Mile triumph after guiding Cascadian to victory in 2021. While she had to waste hard to get down to Sheza Alibi’s 49kg handicap, it proved worth the effort.

“I’ve sat on some very special horses before, but I don’t think any came close to the feel she just gave me then,” she said.

“What a horse. I trialled her the other day and she gave me a nice feel, but with blinkers on today.

“I’ve never sat on a horse that has given me goosebumps like that before.”

Trainer Bjorn Baker enhanced a family tradition, as Rachel King rode Godolphin colt Green Spaces ($20) to a historic win in the A$2 million Group 1 ATC Australian Derby (2,400m).

He achieved a career goal by winning the Derby, emulating his father and legendary New Zealand trainer Murray Baker, who prepared five winners in the famous Randwick classic.

RACING AND SPORTS