Joliestar storms home in Kingsford Smith Cup to deny local fairtyale

The legend of Chris Waller went to a new level as the champion trainer combined with James McDonald to narrowly deny an extraordinary Queensland fairytale at Eagle Farm.
Joliestar snatched victory from the jaws of almost certain defeat in the Kingsford Smith Cup to mow down Tony Gollan's Queensland bolter Zarastro and deny jockey Angela Jones her maiden Group 1.
It gave Waller his 19th Group 1 of the season, breaking his previous record for the most Group 1 winners in a season in Australia.
It was also the first time a female horse had won the Kingsford Smith since Sea Siren saluted in 2012 and Black Caviar a year earlier.
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But this was a race that was about far more than raw statistics.
Just about everyone seemed to have it pegged as a clash between Newmarket Handicap champion Joliestar and Giga Kick, the former The Everest champion.
But no-one told young Queensland jockey Jones, riding in just her third Group 1 race and only partnering Gollan-trained Zarastro because the race had been rescheduled from the washout a week earlier.
• What the jockeys said: 2025 Kingsford Smith Cup
Zarastro, having his first lash at a Group 1, fought like a caged tiger to head off a challenge from Golden Mile and he looked to be heading for an incredible triumph.
Then came Joliestar from so far back that even McDonald thought it was a near impossibility, snatching an incredible last gasp win.
Joliestar will almost certainly not contest next Saturday's Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap, with owner Brendan Lindsay saying it's not on the cards.
Sights will be set on a revenge mission in this year's The Everest after the Joliestar team felt the mare raced without any luck last year.
Waller felt that what ended up being the winning move was McDonald getting Joliestar across ahead of Giga Kick in the early stages.
But, watching the race, Waller still felt it was a tall order to be able to run down the leaders.
• Dale ponders shot at Stradbroke with Front Page
'It's been hard to run the leaders down today but we discussed things pre-race and we couldn't change our racing pattern,' Waller said.
'James went straight across from the barriers and got in front of Giga Kick and one or two others and that was what probably won him the race.
'Joliestar was off the bridle at the 500(m) but her class got her home.
'We missed out on (winning) The Everest last year, so we would like to have another crack this year.'
McDonald described Joliestar as a 'big rocket.'
'She wasn't entitled to win, but that's how good she is,' he said.
'When I looked up at the 600 (m) I thought I was OK.
'Then I got on my bike but as soon as I did that, the pace quickened and the margin went from five lengths turning for home to seven lengths.
'It just didn't feel like I was making ground.
'I was lucky I was on a proper horse, even though she didn't like the ground at Eagle Farm today.'
Joliestar returns to scale. Picture: Trackside Photography
• Sunrays ends stellar campaign as trainer resists Group 1 lure
There has rarely been a happier second-placed finisher in a Group 1 than Gollan who was proud as punch of Zarastro which started as a $17 chance.
'He ran the race of his life, he was so tough,' Gollan said.
'He was beaten three times down the straight, but he kept putting his head out.
'I couldn't have been prouder of the horse, he hasn't raced in many weeks due to track conditions and things like that.
'Then to go down to such a good, strong race like that and race that well, I'm so happy.
'I knew we got beat on the line but it took a multiple Group 1 winner to beat him.
'I'm very proud of my horse and I'm very proud of Angela.'
Giga Kick battled away but could only manage sixth while potential Stradbroke Handicap contender Rise At Dawn was fifth.
The connections of Giga Kick said it was one of the few times in his career that he has produced a disappointing run.

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Watching women's sport not just for women: Experts talk on levelling the playing field

ABC News

36 minutes ago

ABC News

Watching women's sport not just for women: Experts talk on levelling the playing field

In 2023, a nation held its breath as the Matildas took on England in the FIFA Women's World Cup semifinal. What followed wasn't just a gripping match, it became the most-watched television broadcast in Australian history. A post-tournament social impact report from Football Australia revealed that 44 per cent of the audience comprised men and boys. For the first time, a women's football game outperformed every other program ever aired in the country, breaking the myth that women's sport only appeals to women. Former Matilda and lawyer Moya Dodd says we have come a long way in the past decade. "Ten years ago, no one would have believed it," she told ABC International Development's Women in News and Sport, at the recent RCB Innovation Lab Sports Summit in India. Women's sport has been marketed primarily to women, and that marketing often focuses on empowerment rather than excellence. But Dodd said the skill, determination, and passion on display deserves universal respect, regardless of the gender of those on the field. She said boys were already growing up idolising athletes like Sam Kerr, the same way they do male stars. "When young boys see professionalised women's sport, they accept it as normal," Dodd said. "They'll happily wear a jersey with Sam Kerr's name on it. "There is no social stigma." In India, the Women's Premier League (WPL) is emerging as a game-changer. The second season in 2024 reached more than 103 million TV viewers, with digital platforms like JioCinema drawing millions more. Brands are investing big: Viacom18 signed a $117 million deal for WPL rights, one of the most lucrative ever for a women's league. But framing isn't the only challenge. Dodd said structural barriers persisted across leadership, infrastructure, and media. "Sport was built by men, for men, and run by men," Dodd said. "You can't just retrofit women into those systems. You need to redesign them." Sarah Walsh, head of women's football at Football Australia, and a former Matildas player, said the Matildas' rise was made possible by constitutional changes in 2018 that brought more women into decision-making roles. "We wouldn't have had the success we did, equal pay deals, post-World Cup legacy funding, without women in the room deciding where the money goes," she told WINS. Dodd said although there had been ground made, there were other areas that needed to evolve. "Storytelling is still skewed toward men's sport," Dodd said. "We need commentary and coverage that welcomes new audiences, not one that constantly compares women's sport to men's." She stressed that female voices in broadcast and journalism played a vital role in shaping public perception. Both Dodd and Walsh indicated that with the right leadership, inclusive policies, and a reframing of how women's sport was presented, there was significant opportunity for growth and equity. They both believe growth on the field translates to growing the game off it. Walsh said infrastructure remained a silent but critical barrier to participation, with a number of community football facilities still not female friendly. "You're not going to retain girls if they simply can't get dressed," Walsh said. Meanwhile, teenage dropout rates among girls are high due to issues ranging from lack of safety to body image concerns. Major events like the Women's World Cup helped boost participation by 20 per cent, but retention is still a hurdle. Recent trends in viewership and sponsorship suggest that interest in women's sport is not limited by gender. It delivers economic, cultural, and social returns. With the Matildas' semi-final appearance in 2023 and the growing viewership of WPL, sponsorships have increased, new demographics are being reached, and male audiences are growing across markets. "Women's sport brings audiences that have come to celebrate inclusion and a sense of social purpose. And this audience includes people of all genders and ages," Dodd said. Dodd and Walsh believe these developments raise a broader question — no longer whether women's sport has a place, but whether existing structures are prepared to meet the growing potential. Veechika Durga Pingali is a freelance journalist based in Bengaluru, India, with experience in both journalism and public relations. She has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and enjoys writing about gender, media and sports. Veechika is part of ABC International Development's Women in News and Sport Initiative, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Team Up program.