Top mare More Joyous bounced back from a poor Spring to win back to back Canterbury Stakes at Rosehill today.

The Gai Waterhouse trained mare resumed from a summer break to take out the Group 2 $175,000 Myer Canterbury Stakes (1300m) in easy fashion.

Nash Rawiller had More Joyous just behind the leaders coming to the home turn and once in the straight eased her to the middle of the track where she fought off Monton and was able to score comfortably.

Rawiller is having an outstanding weekend winning earlier in the day on Golden Slipper hope Pierro for Waterhouse after having taken out the Group 1 $400,000 Power Tracker William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley last night.

Waterhouse will now aim More Joyous for the Group 1 $2m Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 21 and possibly the Group 1 $500,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick the following week.

Waterhouse was very glad to see one of her favourite race horses in More Joyous made a winning return to the racetrack after a poor Spring last year.

“It’s interesting you know, I didn’t think she was going to win at the top of the straight,” Waterhouse said.

“She sort of took a stride or two where he wasn’t going straight and then she just went bomb.”

“It was a really courageous effort and at the end of it she made it look easy.”

Owner John Singleton was watching from America on a business trip but no doubt will be very pleased with his mighty mares first up win.

Rawiller chalked up his thirteenth win on his favourite mare who has now won sixteen from twenty-three starts.

“She had to dig today. I rode her like the best horse and she did the rest but the last 50 or 100 was hard work but she just kept giving.”

More Joyous was sent out the $2.90 favourite and went on to win by one and a quarter lengths from Monton ($21) with the roughie Metal Bender ($81) finishing well along the inside for third.