Joliestar, who finished last year’s Everest as the runner-up, demonstrated on Thursday that she would be a formidable sprinter come fall with a spectacular barrier trial victory at Rosehill Gardens. Panic finished strongly wide out, but Chris Waller’s outstanding mare cruised through a gap to win by a short neck after Kerrin McEvoy held her tightly during her 900m heat. Lindermann, a stablemate of Joliestar, showed remarkable pace to lead the trial for a long way and finished within a half length of the winner in third placing. Joliestar, who ran seventh in The Everest behind Bella Nipotina and ran a same placing behind in Lake Forest’s Golden Eagle, is very fresh and will probably trial again before an expected return in the Group 2 $300,000 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on February 15.
Then, in the second trial of the Rosehill session, the gifted Godolphin colt Traffic Warden got his chance to show off. Not put to the test by rider Zac Lloyd, Traffic Warden, who was scratched at the barriers just before The Everest last spring, easily finished in third place, trailing Shezanalister and promising import Givemethebeatboys by a margin of 1½ lengths. James Cummings, the trainer of Godolphin, also put his undefeated two-year-olds, Tempted and Comedy, to the test. Even though Lloyd didn’t apply much pressure on the filly, Tempted, the daughter of Street Boss, who won at Warwick Farm last month, rallied late in the field to win her heat. The brilliant combo Feel The Breeze and Tropic were pursued home by McEvoy’s horse, Comedy, the Kirkham Plate winner. The intelligent two-year-old filly of Bjorn Baker
Within The Law, winner of the Inglis Banner and Inglis Nursery at her only two starts, settled back in her 900m heat and was given more rein in the straight by jockey Jason Collett before closing late to finish a close second to Snitzel Miss.
