Cambridge Stud principals Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay have fond memories of Royal Ascot, with their shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain carrying their familiar silks to victory in the 2020 edition of the Gr.1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m).
While ecstatic with the win, the couple were unable to attend the meeting due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and missed out on the pageantry of the world-renowned racing carnival.
However, this year they have the chance to replicate that result in the race, which has been renamed the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1200m), with their leading contender Joliestar.
While the Lindsays have travelled to England to take in the spectacle and cheer home their mare, back home in New Zealand, their Cambridge farm is brimming with excitement, and the farm’s sales and nominations manager Scott Calder said everyone at the farm can’t wait until the early hours of Sunday morning to cheer on Joliestar.
“It is very exciting,” Calder said. “It is all most of us have been able to think about for the last two or three weeks, and as it has got closer it is certainly what everyone is talking about.”
Touching on the farm’s history in the race, Calder said it would be great if the Lindsays were able to experience a Royal Ascot win once again after being robbed of enjoying their first success six years ago.
“The stud was fortunate to have a winner in our colours at Ascot once before (with Hello Youmzain), but being during COVID, Sir Brendan and Lady Jo didn’t get the opportunity to be there,” Calder said.
“It was one of those things where you didn’t think you would be in that position again, and for them to be up there and building up to the same race with a leading chance like Joliestar is a pretty amazing position to be in, and it would be awesome for them if she could win and experience it in person this time.
“It is a big ask to travel to the other side of the world, but we are just hoping she is on her A-game on Saturday.”
Trainer Chris Waller is in England overseeing her final preparation and he couldn’t be any happier with his mare.
“Her preparation you can say has been faultless, she looks fantastic, her work over the last week has been perfect and she is bouncing and is ready to go,” Waller said.
Purchased by the Lindsays out of Segenhoe Thoroughbreds’ 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale draft for A$950,000, Joliestar has gone on to win 10 of her 21 starts to date, including the Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m), Gr.1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m), Gr.1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m), Gr.1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) and Gr.1 Thousand Guineas (1600m).
While she has nothing left to prove on the track, the Lindsays would love to add a Group One Royal Ascot victory to her record before she is eventually retired to the broodmare paddock at their farm, where she would be alongside fellow Royal Ascot victors in the farm’s stallions Hello Youmzain and Charyn, with the latter winning the Gr.1 Queen Anne Stakes (1609m) in 2024.
Joliestar is currently a $3 favourite with TAB bookmakers for the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1200m), which is set to jump at 2:40am on Sunday (NZ time). – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
