Latest news with #Aviatress

News.com.au
30-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
South Australian trainer Richard Jolly tackles Bel Esprit Stakes with gun sprinter Aviatress
The Robert Sangster Stakes didn't go to plan for Aviatress, but trainer Richard Jolly is hopeful his sprinting mare can rediscover winning ways in Saturday's Listed Bel Esprit Stakes at Caulfield. Aviatress returned to form with a fourth placing in last start's Straight Six (1200m) at Flemington, three weeks after finishing second last in the Group 1 Sangster (1200m) at Morphettville. • Under pressure a long way from home, the Sangster run remains a little bemusing to Jolly, but the trainer was pleased to see the stakes-winning mare back among the action at Flemington, where she was beaten less than a length. 'She just had a bit of an off day in the Sangster, we're not sure what was wrong to be honest,' Jolly, who trains in partnership with daughter, Chantelle, said. 'Her blood was a bit ordinary after the run but she bounced back pretty quickly. 'She ran really well the other day down the straight, if she could've been on that outside section, it was playing a little bit better where the winner came down. 'There wasn't much in it but it certainly would've made a bit of a difference.' The heavily-backed Aviatress is a class above first-up in the Listed Matrice Stakes, grabbing her second Stakes honour & sixth victory from 12 starts 🚀 Jake Toeroek & @RJollyRacing claim their respective doubles ðŸ'� — (@Racing) March 29, 2025 Saturday's assignment will be the mare's final run this preparation, she won the Matrice Stakes first-up at Morphettville, a second career stakes win. 'She pulled up well, we thought we would roll the dice and give her one more run before a break,' he said. 'It's not an easy field, if anything it looks a bit tougher, but she's going well and her best is certainly good enough. 'She won't have a long spell, but she'll probably have 3-4 weeks and we'll probably look at some mares stakes race throughout the spring.' • No Frankie, no worries for Giga Kick in Group 1 attack Aviatress will be ridden by Zac Spain and is a $11 chance with Sportsbet for Saturday's Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m). Jolly also has last start winner Star Sirius in a Benchmark 78 (1200m), and Pudding in a Benchmark 84 (2000m) on the nine-race Caulfield card. 'Darren Thomas (Seymour Bloodstock) will probably breed from her (Star Sirius) I'd say, so it was good to get a win at Flemington on her CV, it wasn't a surprise, we didn't take her over there guessing, we thought she was up to those kind of races,' he said. 'She's in good form, I'm sure she'll give a good sight. 'Pudding's last couple of runs have been good actually, on paper its just fifth and sixth but he's had no luck in either race. 'I'm really pleased with how he's going, he just needs a bit of luck in the race which he hasn't had.' Jolly has 12 runners across Victoria and South Australia on Saturday, and he's taking the stable's lone runner to Hawker, with veteran gelding Shakespeare tackling the Hawker Cup (1750m). 'We've got all these runners and I'm doing the Hawker run,' he said. 'We're leaving tomorrow morning, we'll get up there and stay the night.' Jolly has also bid farewell to stable star See You In Heaven, the six-time stakes winner was sold for $1m at Tuesday's Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast. 'You know its always going to come to an end at some stage,' Jolly said. 'She's rising six (years old) and we bought her as a yearling, you certainly get attached to them. 'She couldn't win a Group 1 race, but it was like winning one, getting $1m for her. We thought she was pretty valuable but to actually get that much was pretty amazing. 'All the owners were rapt with what she achieved. 'I don't think I'll get another horse like her, in 22 starts she never raced out of stakes grade, it's pretty hard to achieve that with something else.'

News.com.au
21-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Aviatress and See You In Heaven primed for Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville on Saturday
Aviatress and See You In Heaven carry local hopes in Saturday's $1m Robert Sangster Stakes, and trainers Richard and Chantelle Jolly have both of their stable stars primed for the first Group 1 of the Adelaide racing carnival at Morphettville. The pair enter Saturday's 1200m sprint ready to fire, yet both have enjoyed different preparations, Aviatress is third-up, and See You In Heaven is resuming following a five-month break between runs. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Aviatress, a daughter of Smart Missile, was dominant winning the Matrice Stakes (1200m) first-up, before a sixth-placed finish in the Group 3 Irwin Stakes (1100m), where not everything went to plan. 'In my eyes she wasn't disappointing, she drew (barrier) one and I reckon she was in the gates for five minutes before they jumped, there was a problem with a few loading,' Jolly said. 'She was just in the gates for an eternity and obviously jumped a bit slow and got a bit squeezed up after the start. 'In an 1100m race, you're on the back foot straight away, she was good on the line and strong late, back to 1200m is going to be better for her. She's come through the run great and we're looking forward to Saturday.' "And has got them on toast!" Aviatress turns on the afterburners & makes a mess of her rivals in the Northwood Plume 🚀 @RJollyRacing @CWilliamsJockey — (@Racing) October 12, 2024 • See You In Heaven, a five-time Group winner, has a formidable first-up record, her past two first-up runs have resulted in commanding Group 3 wins in the Behemoth Stakes (2023 and 2024). 'We've had no problems with her, she's had some documented hoof issues over her career, just a bit of bruising she gets on the hard tracks, she's been good this prep, we haven't had any dramas with her,' he said. 'She's good first-up, that's why we waited, she's been in work for a while to get ready for this, we're happy with where she's at. 'The query is whether she's quite at Group 1 level, but she is against mares, which is always an advantage when you're against your own sex.' "She's making a statement, see you in the spring!" See You In Heaven returns in grand style to win the G3 Behemoth Stakes â�ï¸� @RJollyRacing — (@Racing) August 10, 2024 • Victorians top betting on Adelaide Group 1 features Premiership-winning hoop Jake Toeroek will pilot Aviatress on Saturday, while Zac Spain, who won The Goodwood in 2022, will ride See You In Heaven. 'They're both quality mares on their day, I think Aviatress is the one that goes in rock hard fit, she's probably the one on her ratings that is good enough to win it,' Jolly said. 'See You In Heaven probably has to run right up to her best, that's why we elected to go first up with her, that's where she seems to let go and run her best races. 'I'm excited for both of them, it's hard enough to have one runner, let alone have two chances in it, and to have two bites of the cherry.' Jolly is also buoyed by the return of Sabaj. The classy gelding was last seen finishing runner-up to Gala Queen in the Morphettville Guineas on Adelaide Cup day, and has been freshened up ahead of Saturday's Group 2 Tobin Bronze Stakes (1200m). 'He's well, he's a quality horse. Back fresh, he's galloped quite well the last two weeks, I'm looking forward to that,' he said. Aviatress is an $11 chance with Sportsbet, while See You In Heaven is a $15 hope for the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes.