The five-year-old Joliestar is in prime form, according to trainer Chris Waller, who cites her unwavering reliability.
She’ll attempt a third win on the trot in the T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick this Saturday, an unprecedented run in any single campaign for her.
High-class efforts have marked her career since her juvenile years, but full-prep consistency was missing – until recently.
“I can’t fault her. She is two from two this ‘prep’, and she is a confident lady who is taking the next step with consistency,” Waller said.
“You just see that with more mature horses. That’s the difference between your five-year-olds and your four-year-olds.
“Your four-year-olds still do a few little things wrong, but the five-year-olds, they know what they’re doing. They can race themselves.”
Joliestar resumed decisively beating future Newmarket Handicap winner Caballus in the Expressway Stakes (1200m) and consolidated with a powerful win in the Canterbury Stakes (1300m).
Approaching the T J Smith Stakes after almost a month’s break, a pattern that has previously brought out her best.
Waller is preserving reserves after the Sydney autumn carnival for Joliestar’s upcoming English raid at the start of summer there.
Following her Saturday effort, a week’s spell awaits before she heads to Melbourne to train and trial on Flemington’s straight, akin to UK tracks.
For now, the emphasis is the T J Smith Stakes, where she’s third-favoured early at $4.40, with only three-year-old Tentyris ($3) and Jimmysstar ($4) ahead.
Tentyris hopes to join Trapeze Artist (2018) as the lone three-year-old to best the older speedsters.
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