Joliestar sets up thrilling Everest showdown with Ka Ying Rising after brilliant return in The Shorts at Randwick

At Royal Randwick on Saturday, Joliestar took 1min 02.13sec to complete the 1100m course in the Group 2 $1m The Shorts to prove she is going to give Ka Ying Rising a real race.

Don’t forget Briasa who ran a brave second and only gained more admirers in defeat, and Lady Shenandoah didn’t even race but firmed in betting for the $20m The TAB Everest next month.

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Champion jockey James McDonald partnered Joliestar to her brilliant win in The Short and had a gentle dig at Ka Ying Rising’s jockey, Zac Purton, after the race.

“I thought Zac had one hand on the (Everest) trophy but I might have to take that one hand off and just let him simmer for a bit,’’ McDonald said.

“Because there’s two golden girls (Joliestar and Lady Shenandoah) chasing him.”

• What the jockeys said: The Shorts and 7 Stakes day

McDonald is going to have the difficult task of choosing between Joliestar and Lady Shenandoah in The Everest (1200m) on October 18.

Joliestar was simply stunning in The Shorts and McDonald will get another opportunity to test Lady Shenandoah in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on Friday night.

Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising is due to arrive in Sydney on Monday and continue his preparation for The Everest where he is $1.70 favourite.

But The Everest is not a one-horse race as Joliestar ($4.80) showed in The Shorts, finishing powerfully to beat Briasa ($3.10) by one-and-a-quarter lengths with Generosity ($19) a length away third.

• Fangirl proves she’s queen of Randwick mile in 7 Stakes

Mazu showed blistering early speed to lead The Shorts field into the straight and he held on well for fourth while the previously unbeaten Private Harry ($2.15) was a fading fifth, beaten about four lengths.

Private Harry’s jockey Ash Morgan admitted the sprinter was “obviously disappointing”.

“He was a little fresh in the gates and copped a squeeze off Briasa,’’ Morgan.

“I felt like we controlled the race well after that but was disappointing after straightening.”

Joliestar gave McDonald and trainer Chris Waller the feature race double after they also combined with Fangirl in the 7 Stakes.

Waller, who prepared a treble with Birdman’s win in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes, described Joliestar’s comeback win as “awesome”.

“She has come back well, and she’s four weeks out from a very big race,’’ Waller said.

“We haven’t asked her (to do a lot) to be truthful, but I can see a more mature horse now.

“I’ve seen the horse trial well, and I’ve just got an all-around more confident horse, so we were confident.

“But, we knew from the draw that it was going to be tricky, so our plan was just to come back, find some cover. We didn’t get the cover but we didn’t need it.”

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Waller said Joliestar won’t race again until The Everest on October 18.

“That’s mainly why she didn’t run last week in the Sheraco Stakes,’’ Waller said.

“If we were going five weeks, I would have thought, yeah, she probably needs another run. But today, four weeks, a trial and she’ll be ready to go.

“We’ve got a great horse, it’s a great race, it’s got the world talking.”

Team Hawkes would have liked Briasa to go one better but they came away from The Shorts feeling like winners, too.

“Briasa has gone tremendous,’’ Hawkes said.

“He wasn’t screwed down for this race, he has a lot of improvement to come and he is going super.

“He has run a gallant second to a very good mare in fast time. He was at a distance today that he is not overly suited and he will be better when he gets to 1200m.’’

Hawkes said he has great respect for Ka Ying Rising but reiterated The Everest is far from a one-horse race.

“Joliestar has jumped out of the ground today, Briasa will only improve, Lady Shenandoah is right there,’’ Hawkes said.

“The Everest is a different race. It will come down to who gets the best run in transit.’’

Originally published as Joliestar sets up thrilling Everest showdown with Ka Ying Rising after brilliant return in The Shorts at Randwick