Connections of top-class mare Joliestar will wait until later this week before making a call on her involvement at Randwick at the weekend.
A start in Saturday’s Gr.1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) is in the balance for Chris Waller’s representative due to Sydney’s inclement weather and no chances will be taken with Cambridge Stud’s high-profile daughter of Zoustar.
“It would be nice to give her one more run before we tip her out for a spell and then come back for the spring,” Cambridge Stud chief executive Henry Plumptre said.
“We want a horse for next season and we don’t want her to get beaten by running her on a track that she might finish fifth or sixth on, she’s too good for that.
“Historically, we’ve had no luck with this Randwick carnival weather-wise, we’ve run a number of horses over here which would have been reasonable chances, but they’ve just not handled heavy surfaces at all.
“That’s been no-one’s fault, it’s just the way the weather is in Sydney in the autumn now, it’s so unpredictable.”
Joliestar stamped her quality when successful in last season’s Gr.1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) on top of the ground at Caulfield and was spelled following luckless midfield finishes in the Gr.1 The Everest (1200m) and Golden Eagle (1500m).
She ran third when opening her current preparation in the Gr.2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) before returning to Melbourne to thump her opposition in the Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington.
Joliestar has continued to thrive since returning to Waller’s Rosehill base.
“Chris is obviously hoping the weather improves so it’s all fingers crossed because the mare is very well and had a nice quiet trial last Friday,” Plumptre said.
“It’s a question of waiting and seeing what happens later in the week. Barrier draws and the weather we can’t fix.”
Meanwhile, the stud’s outstanding Tavistock mare Snazzytavi continues her battle with laminitis.
“She’s had further minor surgery (on Monday) on that off fore foot to try and alleviate some of the discomfort,” Plumptre said.
“At this stage, the best way to describe it is that she’s holding her own.”
Snazzytavi won nine of her 15 starts from the Matamata stable of Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, including Group One victories in the Zabeel Classic (2000m) and Livamol Classic (2040m). – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
