The 2025 Newmarket Handicap delivered a victory for punters at Flemington, with Chris Waller‘s mare Joliestar returning to Group 1 winning form.

Joliestar saluting for the punters in the 2025 Newmarket Handicap results at Flemington. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The Zoustar four-year-old ($3.40F) charged down the ‘Straight Six’ track, defeating Headwall ($14) by 1.25 lengths in the $1.5 million race.

“We had faith about the horse being the best horse in the race. That is what we thought going out there,” Waller’s stable rep Charlie Duckworth told Racing.com.

“It made the watch a little less stressful knowing that she does have that electric turn-of-foot because when she is at her best, she is amazing.

“She is amazing every time when she wins in like that you think she is the next sprinter in the land.

“She is a very good sprinter and it looked like a Newmarket where she might not be crippled with the weights.

“There is a lot that goes on Monday to Friday. It’s not just about getting a photo on Saturday.

“It is amazing. Chris’ craftsmanship in terms of planning, and plotting, and scheming, to try and get the right horse to maximise their potential and their value is unbelievable.”

Joliestar’s victory marked her second Group 1 win, following her 2023 Thousand Guineas success.

She entered the race as the favourite after a third-place finish in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes.

Magic Time, who won the Expressway Stakes, finished third in the Canterbury Stakes in Sydney on Saturday, further validating Joliestar’s form.

“The master horseman won the race for the first time back in 2015 with Brazen Beau and a decade later added a second Newmarket trophy to the cabinet thanks to Joliestar’s big performance,” a racing analyst from Races.com.au reported.

Damian Lane delivered a skillful ride, navigating Joliestar through the field and finding a clear passage to victory.

“It felt like I needed an inch of room, and she was going to put them away. She just travelled so easily the whole race,” Lane said.

“Never been so confident that I could put a Group 1 away if I got the right run.

“When it came, she made light work of it. If you wait long enough usually you get a run in these straight races because horses are tiring, and they roll around a little bit.

“I just had to bide my time, and we got out at the perfect time in the end. It all worked out well.”

Stretan Angel ($12), trained by Phillip Stokes, finished third, continuing her consistent form at Flemington and completing the Newmarket Handicap trifecta 2.75 lengths back third in another Group 1 placing at the track after her second in the Black Caviar Lightning.

Joliestar is now expected to target the Group 1 $3 million TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick during Sydney’s The Championships in April, with a potential trip to Royal Ascot following that.

“The TJ Smith is likely, and Chris mentioned Royal Ascot during the week,” Duckworth confirmed.

“If she could go to Royal Ascot, it would be amazing. We managed to achieve it with Nature Strip who is enjoying his life now with us.

“It would be really special to take a filly there and do that like we saw last year.”

Lankan Rupee was the last horse to complete the Newmarket Handicap/TJ Smith Stakes double.

Joliestar is currently the $6 favourite for the TJ Smith Stakes in the pre-field markets at Ladbrokes.

2025 Newmarket Handicap Results

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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