News

Joliestar win G1 Newmarket as Inglis graduates soar

8th Mar 2025

Outstanding mare Joliestar (Zoustar) scored an explosive win in today’s G1 Newmarket Hcp at Flemington on a day Inglis graduates won eight Stakes races on both sides of the Tasman.

Trainer Chris Waller opted for the Newmarket over today’s G1 Canterbury Stakes at Randwick for Joliestar and it proved a masterstroke as the 4YO scored a decisive victory down the Flemington straight.

The win was Joliestar’s fifth from just 12 starts and took her earnings to more than $3.6m.

Bred by Chris and Jane Barham, Joliestar is a $950,000 Easter Yearling Sale purchase for Brendan and Jo Lindsay of Cambridge Stud, from the Segenhoe draft.

She is one of 103 individual Inglis graduates to have won a G1 since 2018.

Brendan Lindsay recalled the reason he bought Joliestar (pictured) and heaped praise on Henry Plumptre for the purchase.

“Henry [Plumptre] does his ratings and he rated her a 9.5/10 and he said he’d only ever given that rating once in his life before and that was for Merlene, who won a Golden Slipper. He said this girl was the nicest horse he’d seen in 20 years,’’ Lindsay said after today’s victory.

“She was explosive today, when the gap opened it was bang, she put them to bed in an instant.

“The real Joliestar turned up today which was great to see, she really showed everyone just how good she is.’’

Segenhoe’s Peter O’Brien backed up Lindsay’s recollections from Riverside before he sold Joliestar.

“From the day she was born she was just different,’’ O’Brien said.

“Of that year, she was the best yearling on our farm. I remember being at Riverside and leaning over the fence at the barn and Henry Plumptre was showing Brendan and Jo the filly and he said ‘this is the closest thing to [four-time G1 winner] Probabeel I’ve ever seen’.

“She’s just so brilliant and I’m particularly delighted for Chris and Jane Barham, who have been huge supporters of mine and Brendan and Jo, who are so great for the industry. It’s really just the perfect storm.’’

Segenhoe will offer a draft of 17 yearlings at next month’s Easter Sale, for which O’Brien can hardly contain his excitement.

“It is as strong a group of yearlings as we’ve taken to Easter for years,’’ O’Brien said.

“Among them is a stunning Zoustar filly out of Custard, a stunning Snitzel colt out of La Mexicana and a stunning Vinnie colt out of Covent Garden, from Winx’s family, so we can’t wait.’’

The Easter Yearling Sale will be held at Riverside on April 6 and 7.

To view the catalogue CLICK HERE.

Also at Flemington today the unbeaten 2YO colt Vinrock (I Am Invincible) made it two from two and will now head to Sydney for G1 targets in coming weeks following his effortless victory in the G2 Sires’ Produce Stakes.

The juvenile won impressively on debut at Pakenham last month and brought that form to headquarters today to secure a comfortable all-the-way win.

“He was really good in his debut win and he’s just a very tough horse. When he was placed under pressure at his first start he really responded well and obviously went to another level today,’’ Vinrock’s trainer Matt Laurie said.

“If he pulls up well then we’ll definitely be going to Sydney for the G1s.’’

Laurie teamed up with Wilannah Park Bloodstock to purchase Vinrock for $300,000 at the Premier Yearling Sale, where he was offered by his breeder Rosemont Stud.

He will target the G1 double of the Inglis Sires and G1 Champagne Stakes at Randwick in April.

Is It Me (Iffraaj) made it three wins in succession and a first at Group level with a comfortable victory in the G3 Shaftesbury Avenue Hcp at Flemington.

Trainer Daniel Bowman bought the Woodpark Stud-bred Is It Me for just $40,000 at the Premier Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Lime Country.

Despite winning his first two starts, Bowman said Is It Me has been a “work in progress’’ but believes he is finally starting to see the best of the 5YO.

“He’s been very immature mentally and it’s taken a long time to work out his craft,’’ Bowman said.

“Three of his defeats have come from barrier one so when he draws close to the fence like he did today we get a bit worried…but today, once he got clear, he flogged them.’’

Later on the program Jennilala (Shalaa) continued to build on her extraordinary fresh record with a first-up victory in the G3 Matron Stakes.

The Gavin Bedggood-trained 5YO has now raced six times first-up for four wins and a second placing.

Her owners Tony and Lynn Ottobre bought Jennilala for $70,000 at the Premier Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Arrowfield, who bred the filly with Redbank Pty.

At Randwick today the regally bred 3YO Enriched (I Am Invincible) scored an impressive victory in the Listed Fireball Stakes.

Enriched is one of the best-bred horses in training, by Champion Sire I Am Invincible out of a half sister to Winx in Miss Atom Bomb.

“He’s a colt I’ve always had a nice opinion of and he’s still a colt at the moment which is nice,’’ trainer Michael Freedman said.

“It was great to see him today fulfil some of the potential he’d been showing over the past 12 months or so and with that pedigree, there’s some nice 3YO races around so we’ll see how he pulls up but maybe look at a [Listed] Darby Munro [in a fortnight] and then possibly a crack at the [G2] Arrowfield Sprint.’’

Freedman teamed up with Michael Wallace and Ghandarvi’s Kuldeep Singh Rajput to purchase Enriched for $450,000 at the 2023 Easter Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Bhima, on behalf of his breeders Terry and Peter Board.

Emerging sprint star Jedibeel (Savabeel) will be given his chance at G1 glory next start in The Galaxy following his emphatic first-up victory in the G2 Challenge Stakes.

The Brad Widdup-trained 5YO has been a model of consistency for his connections, with his 18 career starts netting eight wins and seven minor placings for $800,000 in earnings.

“He’s been a terrific horse from day one for us,’’ Widdup said.

“[Jockey] Tyler [Schiller] has always been a big believer that a Galaxy is a race we should be aiming at, he’s got a massive turn of foot, especially ridden like that when he can get out late and he finished good.’’

Widdup purchased the Waikato Stud-bred Jedibeel for $190,000 at the Classic Yearling Sale, out of the Cannon Hayes Stud draft.

Jedibeel races in the colours of Mike and Sue Gregg and their grandson Lachlan Sheridan, who works at the Widdup stables.

In winning today, Jedibeel led in an Inglis graduates trifecta beating Kimochi and I Am Me.

And trainer Bjorn Baker’s stunning run of success continued when Little Baia (All Too Hard) scored a gutsy all-the-way win in the G3 Aspiration Quality.

It was a sixth career victory and a valuable first one at Group level for Little Baia, who led in an Inglis graduates quinella, defeating Mare of Mt Buller.

Baker and Jim Clarke bought Little Baia for $110,000 at the Premier Yearling Sale, where she was offered by her breeder Gilgai Farm.

In New Zealand today untapped 3YO filly Alabama Lass (Alabama Express) scored the easiest of wins in the G3 Kings Plate at Ellerslie.

The 3YO filly is building an imposing career record, which now sits at five wins and three second placings – including two at G1 level – from eight starts, for $600,000 in earnings.

Her trainer Ken Kelso teamed up with Dean Hawthorne to buy Alabama Lass for $120,000 at the Premier Yearling Sale, out of the Shadow Hill Thoroughbreds draft.

She is bred by Rifa Mustang.

And at Newcastle yesterday Sandpaper (Snitzel) became the latest Inglis Digital Stakes winner when winning the G3 Newcastle Stakes.

He’s a $130,000 online buy for Darby Racing from Godolphin in September last year - he has raced five times since for trainer Bjorn Baker for two wins and three minor placings and earned just shy of $300,000.