Champion mare Joliestar is highly likely to miss the Stradbroke Handicap
Owner Brendan Lindsay says his Group 1 champion mare Joliestar is likely to miss the Stradbroke Handicap and instead be rested in preparation for the spring carnival.
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Group 1 star Joliestar is highly likely to bypass the prestigious $3 million Stradbroke Handicap on Saturday week.
Cambridge Stud boss Brendan Lindsay, who owns the Chris Waller-trained mare, said he expected Joliestar would head to the paddock after Saturday’s rescheduled Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm.
Joliestar was the $3 favourite for the $1m Kingsford Smith last Saturday at Eagle Farm before heavy rain forced officials to shift the feature to this weekend, alongside the Queensland Derby and Queensland Oaks to create a “Super Saturday” of racing.
The winner of the Kingsford Smith scores a golden ticket into the 1400m Stradbroke on June 14 at Eagle Farm but two-time Group 1 winner Joliestar, with a rating of 114, was already assured of a spot in Queensland’s premier race.
However with an allocated weight of 56kg in the Stradbroke and with spring carnival riches in mind, Waller is almost certain to send Joliestar to the paddock after her winter grand final on Saturday.
“I think she’s 50-50 for the Straddie, I don’t think she’ll carry on,” New Zealander Lindsay said on Sunday.
“I think she’ll get too much weight in the Straddie. He (Waller) said ‘we’ll just see how we go’.
“Obviously we were meant to go last Saturday but I’m pleased we didn’t with that (heavy) track.
“The plan is to go back again next week. I guess after that Chris will make some decisions but I’d think it’s unlikely she’ll backup in the Stradbroke.
“It’s only a week later and we’ve got to prepare her for the spring.
“If she can run on a good track on Saturday then it’ll tell us where we’re going in the spring.”
Joliestar is currently $7 in the Stradbroke betting market, behind only the Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained gelding War Machine, the $4.50 pre-post favourite.
Lindsay said it was a “blessing in disguise” that Joliestar didn’t run on a heavy (9) rated track last Saturday after jockeys deemed conditions unsafe due to poor visibility.
“I think it’s pretty tough for a sprinter to line up on a heavy track - it’s like running 1600m going wide,” Lindsay, who told Racenet about his fairytale rags-to-riches story last week, said.
“She’s got no wet-track form - a couple of placings on a soft track - but wow wee, it’s a big ask. I think it was a blessing in disguise personally.
“The weather forecast looks good this week and (Joliestar’s regular jockey) James McDonald is still around so we’ll throw the dice next weekend.
“If we can win another Group 1 this year that’s two Group 1s for the season. That would be fantastic - what a way to finish the season.”
The highly talented Zoustar mare triumphed in the $1.5 million Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington in early March, adding to her Thousand Guineas (1600m) victory at Caulfield in 2023.
JOLIESTAR wins the @YulongInvest Newmarket Handicap for @cwallerracing and @LaneDamian 🙌
— Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) March 8, 2025
🎥 @Racing#RacingSpectacular#SuperSaturday#AllStarMilepic.twitter.com/GjktkpX7PS
Meanwhile, Sydney trainer Rob Archibald said he was yet to decide whether his classy colt Bosustow would run in the rescheduled Fred Best Classic (1350m) at Doomben on Wednesday or go straight to the Stradbroke.
Archibald, who trains in partnership with his wife Annabel, also has the option of running Bosustow in the Kingsford Smith Cup on Saturday but that would mean a shorter turnaround going into the Stradbroke.
“No decision’s been made yet,” Archibald said on Sunday.
“We would’ve loved to have seen him run on Saturday. We had confidence he would’ve got through the ground but there’s nothing we can do about it.
“They cancelled it because it was in the best interests of everybody and we’ll be ready to go with whatever race we run in this week.”
Dominant last-start Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) winner Bosustow will have a light weight of 51.5kg in the Stradbroke.
Originally published as Champion mare Joliestar is highly likely to miss the Stradbroke Handicap
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