Flemington return? Joliestar could swerve Everest after Ascot assault

The UK beckons… but what’s after that for Joliestar?

The five-year-old took out the TJ Smith in gritty fashion under James McDonald at Randwick last Saturday making her a five-time Group 1 winning mare.

Trainer Chris Waller is planning to tackle the Group 1 Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot over 1200m on June 20 before she returns to Australia immediately after.

But what’s on the agenda thereafter?

Cambridge Stud CEO Henry Plumptre insists Ascot is the major target this preparation but there is a loose plan for the ensuing months.

“This preparation the end goal has always been Ascot,” Plumptre said on SENTrack & RSN’s Giddy Up.

“On Saturday it’s a little known secret. I drove everyone mad on Saturday morning because it was pouring with rain in Sydney and I was anxious about her performing on a heavy track.

“But (owner) Brendan (Lindsay) spoke to Chris at about 2pm on Saturday afternoon. He had walked the track twice by then with Darren Beadman and said, ‘Brendan, I’ve got no worries about her going around on that surface, she’ll be fine on it’.

“So we ticked that box and basically what happens when we get to England is the endgame.

“What happens after that is sort of up in the air, but I think knowing Brendan and Jo (Lindsay) as I do, they would want to get her home.

“She’ll have the run up there and we won’t push on to anything else. She’ll get the first plane out of there and be back at Rosehill.

“I would like to race her on next year because they’re a long time at stud.”

Joliestar ran fifth in last year’s $20 million Everest and connections could be tempted to have another crack against reigning champion Ka Ying Rising.

But Plumptre suggests she could be back at Flemington for the Champions Sprint after running third behind Giga Kick in a sopping wet edition late last year.

“I’d love to turn up at Flemington on final day on a dry track,” Plumptre added.

“She’s won the Newmarket on that track once. I think it would be a big ask to run at Ascot third week in June, then get her back to Australia with all the quarantine and have her ready for an Everest.

“I just don’t think it’s the right race for her. It’s hard to say if he (Ka Ying Rising) has improved but it looks like he has improved.”

But before the Melbourne spring, Joliestar has deserved her crack at the UK.

“We decided that she wasn’t ready for a trip overseas last year,” Plumptre added.

“I was very keen to do it mainly because of what it can do for us as a brand at Cambridge Stud, for those colours to race, it’s a very big meeting with worldwide impact.

“There’s no downside to taking a really good horse there, particularly if you are an Australian sprinter because of the amazing record at Ascot. There’s no downside to taking them there when they’re in good form.”