Joliestar storms home to claim Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup
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Star mare Joliestar produced a stunning late burst to capture the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday, delivering champion trainer Chris Waller a record-breaking 19th Group 1 victory in a single Australian racing season.
Starting as the heavily backed $2.30 favourite with horse racing bookmakers, Joliestar settled well off the pace under top jockey James McDonald, who appeared to have plenty of ground to make up entering the home straight. Front-runners Zarastro ($17) and Golden Mile ($23) had set a strong tempo and looked set to battle out the finish, but Joliestar unleashed a remarkable late sprint, snatching victory in the final stride.
The thrilling finish saw Zarastro narrowly beaten into second, with Golden Mile holding on gamely for third. The much-fancied Giga Kick and Benedetta could only manage sixth and seventh respectively, having never looked threats in the concluding stages.
Waller’s remarkable feat surpasses his own previous best of 18 Group 1 victories, achieved during the 2018-19 racing season, marking him as the first trainer in Australian racing history to record 19 Group 1 wins in a single season.
Speaking after the race, an emotional Waller paid tribute to his talented mare:
“She was off the bridle at the 500 (metres) but to her class, she just kept coming. She’s a lovely horse, she’s got a great record. She did it at three, she won a Newmarket, and she’s had a lot of bad luck along the way.”
Jockey James McDonald, reunited with Joliestar for the first time since last year’s Everest (1200m), admitted he thought victory had slipped away mid-race:
“There was not one stage where I thought she was going to win the race. Then she put in this humungous dive with two strides to go and I thought, I’m a little chance here and I looked up and saw the camera man. She is a super mare.”
The Kingsford Smith Cup triumph adds to an impressive resume for Joliestar, who previously captured the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap and finished a close second in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes earlier this campaign. Despite drawing wide (barrier 13 of 14), her undeniable class shone through once again.
Attention now turns to Joliestar’s immediate future, with connections considering a potential tilt at this year’s edition of The Everest during Sydney’s spring carnival.
2025 Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup Replay – Joliestar
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