Joliestar wins Group 1 Canterbury Stakes at Randwick, McDonald aboard

Joliestar overhauled Beiwacht to take the Group 1 Super Seth @ Coolmore Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick, delivering trainer Chris Waller his long-sought Canterbury win and leaving open the question of whether the improving six-year-old will be sent to target the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. James McDonald was in the saddle and produced a decisive finish in a race carrying A$750,000 in prize money.

The winner, listed as 6. Joliestar (4) on the official result board, carried 57kg for jockey James McDonald and trainer Chris Waller. McDonald said of the ride, "She is in the best form of her career because she is so tractable now. When I peeled out I thought 'it’s her time to shine', she’s had everything go her way. She was running down a really good colt and she’s a top horse herself, so take nothing away from the second horse, Beiwacht, he was really great."

Races.com.au posted the official top-eight and betting returns: 1st Joliestar, James McDonald, 57kg, win dividend 2.25, place 1.24; 2nd Beiwacht, Adam Hyeronimus, 56kg, win 9.50, place 2.60; 3rd Lady Shenandoah, Nash Rawiller, 57kg, win 4.20, place 1.60; 4th Headley Grange, Chad Schofield, 59kg, win 21.00, place 4.20; 5th Yorkshire, Jason Collett, 59kg, win 13.00, place 3.00; 6th Encap, Rachel King, 59kg, win 91.00, place 11.00; 7th Linebacker, Dylan Gibbons, 59kg, win 9.50, place 2.50; 8th Napoleonic, Zac Lloyd, 56kg, win 15.00, place 3.40.

The result completed an extraordinary day for Waller’s stable, which supplied the quinella and trifecta with Joliestar, Beiwacht and Lady Shenandoah first, second and third. JustRacing reported this was Waller’s 188th Group 1 victory overall and his first Canterbury Stakes success; Waller reflected on the milestone, "There’s still a few Group 1 races we haven’t won but it is good to get the set in Sydney." Courier Mail context notes Waller has won the last 15 Sydney trainers' premierships and is on course to make it 16.

Joliestar, by Zoustar and described as a maturing mare and an improving six-year-old, notched her fourth Group 1 win. News.com.au recorded the result as her ninth career win from 20 starts and said it took her earnings to more than $7.3 million, while JustRacing listed her prizemoney past $7.1 million. Joliestar had warmed up with an "easy first-up win" in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) on February 14.

Beiwacht, the promising three-year-old colt ridden by Adam Hyeronimus, was credited with a strong run despite finishing second; preview notes cite his Golden Rose success at Rosehill in 2025 and a four-length fourth in last season’s Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes. Lady Shenandoah, ridden by Nash Rawiller, was third after finishing behind Joliestar in the Expressway Stakes first-up.

McDonald capped a dominant Randwick fixture with his fifth winner on the card, adding Canterbury to what JustRacing reported as his 127th Group 1 success overall and 52 Group 1 wins for Waller. With Joliestar now spoken of as a possible Royal Ascot target, connections must decide whether to convert local dominance into an international campaign, a choice that will carry sporting and commercial consequence for owner, trainer and breeding value.