Angela Jones' narrow miss in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup has only fuelled her hunger to win a major

News.com.au

3 hours ago

Queensland jockey Angela Jones has declared that her narrow miss in the recent Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup has only fuelled her hunger to win a major on high-flying mare Floozie in the Tatt's Tiara at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Jones looked the winner for most of the way on the Tony Gollan -trained gelding Zarastro in the 1300m Group 1 on June 7 at Eagle Farm before James McDonald came from clouds to score a jaw-dropping victory on Chris Waller's Joliestar.
But now Jones, 24, is hellbent on collecting her first major in the $700,000 Tatt's Tiara (1400m) for fillies and mares on Saturday as Floozie chases a remarkable fifth straight victory.
The Charters Towers product said she gave herself a moment to absorb the bitter disappointment of missing out on Group 1 glory before picking herself up off the canvas to prepare for her next shot at the main prize.
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'It was such a thrill and also a little bit heartbreaking at the time,' she said about the Zarastro ride.
'I looked back on it and the week after it really gave me a little bit more motivation.
'To come so close, it only really motivated me more to win one.
'Losing to a horse (Joliestar) that's won some pretty good races, including Group 1s, and it had less weight than us too so it really showed that Zarastro deserved to be in a Group 1 field and there is one for him down the track.
'I probably let myself be sad that night and then the next day it was 'right, I'm ready to move on' and we'll try to take the positives out of it and there were plenty of positives there.
'The owners were stoked and Tony (Gollan) was happy so we could walk away with our heads held high and hope to get one down the track.'
An EPIC finish in the G1 Kingsford Smith Cup sees Joliestar nab them right on the line to take her third Group 1! 🤩 @cwallerracing @mcacajamez @BrisRacingClub @RaceQLD pic.twitter.com/9AimF9fMu7
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025
That chance comes on Saturday, with Jones insisting she wouldn't want to be riding any other horse than four-year-old Floozie, who is rated a $4.50 chance in early betting behind Firestorm ($3.50) but ahead of Tashi ($6) and Zaszou ($8).
Floozie defeated the Waller-trained Firestorm in the $300,000 Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1300m) just eight days ago, with runner-up Tashi splitting the pair.
'She's pretty easy to ride every time,' Jones said about Floozie, who is also trained by Gollan.
'You can sort of do whatever you want on her so that takes the nerves away from it.
'She's a horse where if you've got a tricky gate or a heavy track, she'll still do her very best.
'Obviously we'd love to draw between four and six but if we can't then she can overcome a bad gate or bad track.
'She definitely deserves to be in it. There's probably nothing else I'd prefer to ride.
'I don't think anyone would have imagined at the start of her prep that she'd end up in this race and be in such fine form but here we are and I couldn't be more excited for it.'
Floozie brains them in the G2 Dane Ripper Stakes! ðŸ'¥ @tonygollan pic.twitter.com/raJPcbb1Ky
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 14, 2025
The Tatt's Tiara will be Jones' fourth shot at a major this winter carnival following an 11th placing in the Queensland Oaks (2200m) on Sun Worshipper, second in the Kingsford Smith Cup on Zarastro and ninth in the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) on Transatlantic.
'Getting a Group 2 victory (in the Dane Ripper Stakes) was a highlight but I'd love to get the Tatt's Tiara, that would make it wonderful,' said Jones, who has jagged 56 wins this season to sit just three behind leader Emily Lang in the Brisbane metro jockeys' premiership.
'So far if I walk away with what I have now then I'd be pretty happy with the winter carnival.'
And what about that elusive Group 1?
'It'd be amazing. I'd love to get that but if it doesn't come this time, then hopefully there will be many more around the corner,' she said.